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一贯 (yī guàn) — consistent; unchanging over time, all along

Definition

一贯 (yī guàn) describes a habit, attitude, or style that has stayed the same over a long time. Unlike 不断 (continuous action), it emphasizes that something has never changed, often with implied approval or familiarity.

adjective
consistentunchanging over timeall along

Examples

  • 一贯。
    Tā duì dài kè hù yī guàn rè qíng yǒu hǎo.
    He is consistently warm and friendly with clients.
  • 一贯。
    Zhè ge gōng sī yī guàn jiān chí gāo zhì liàng biāo zhǔn.
    This company consistently upholds high-quality standards.
  • 一贯。
    Tā de xué xí tài dù yī guàn rèn zhēn.
    Her attitude toward studying is consistently serious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

一yīone
贯guànrun through

一贯, 'one through', gives the sense of consistent from start to finish.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貫; 贯 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 貫 originally showed two shells strung together; the simplified 贯 is a later abbreviation.

Open 贯 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Frequency & Duration

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