整齐划一 (zhěng qí huà yī) — neat and uniform, orderly and consistent

Definition

An idiom meaning everything is the same — uniform in size, style, or arrangement. Emphasizes that items follow one consistent standard rather than just being tidy.

idiom
neat and uniformorderly and consistent

Examples

  • 整齐划一，。
    Shì bīng men zhàn dé zhěng qí huà yī, xiàng yì pái pái tǐng lì de shù.
    The soldiers stood in neat uniform rows, like a line of upright trees.
  • 整齐划一，。
    Zhè tiáo jiē shàng de jiàn zhù fēng gé zhěng qí huà yī, kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng shū fu.
    The architectural style on this street is uniform and neat — it looks very pleasing.
  • 整齐划一，。
    Gōng sī zhì dìng le zhěng qí huà yī de biāo zhǔn, suǒ yǒu bù mén dōu yào zūn shǒu.
    The company established uniform standards that all departments must follow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

整齐neat
整zhěngneat齐qíeven
联合Side by side
划一make uniform
划huàdraw一yīone
补充Verb + complement

整齐 and 划一 are parallel qualities, neat and made uniform, giving a consistent look.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
敕敕chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng整zhěng
Same sound today

整 pairs 敕 as the meaning side with 正 as the sound side.

Open 整 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 齊; 齐 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 齊 pictures multiple fruits or thorns neatly arranged; the simplified 齐 is a later shorthand.

Open 齐 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
戈
戈gē划huá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

划 is made of 刀, a knife, and 戈, a weapon. The 戈 part gives the sound.

Open 划 →

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 →

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