一统天下 (yī tǒng tiān xià) — to unify the whole country; to achieve total domination in a field

Definition

A dramatic verb meaning 'to unify the whole country' (literal) or 'to achieve total domination in a field' (figurative). Stronger than 统一; used for sweeping, absolute conquest, not ordinary unification.

verb
to unify the whole countryto achieve total domination in a field

Examples

  • 一统天下，。
    Qín shǐ huáng yī tǒng tiān xià, jiàn lì le dì yī gè zhōng yāng jí quán guó jiā.
    Qin Shi Huang unified the whole country and established the first centralized state.
  • 一统天下，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zài shǒu jī shì chǎng yī tǒng tiān xià, méi yǒu duì shǒu.
    This company dominates the smartphone market — no competitors.
  • 一统天下，。
    Tā méi néng yī tǒng tiān xià, guó jiā zuì zhōng fēn liè le.
    He failed to unify the country, and it eventually split apart.

Origin

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 統; 统 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.

Open 统 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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