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一样 (yī yàng) — the same; identical; like; as (in comparisons)

Definition

一样 is the everyday adjective for 'the same' in comparisons and identifications (A跟B一样). Unlike 相同 and 同一, it's colloquial; 相同 is written/formal, 同一 stresses 'one and the same'.

adjective
the sameidenticallikeas (in comparisons)

Examples

  • 一样。
    Wǒ de shū bāo hé nǐ de yī yàng dà.
    My backpack is the same size as yours.
  • 一样。
    Wǒ men de ài hào yī yàng.
    Our hobbies are the same.
  • 一样。
    Tā xiàng hái zi yī yàng kuài lè.
    He is as happy as a child.

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
样yàngkind

一 means one, and 样 means kind or appearance, so the combination gives the idea of being one kind, i.e. the same.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樣; 样 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
羕
羕yàng樣yàng
Same sound today

For 样, the traditional form 樣 pairs 木 (wood) with 羕 as a sound part.

Open 样 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsComparison & Degree2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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