始终如一 (shǐ zhōng rú yī) — constant; consistent; unchanging

Definition

idiom

constantconsistentunchanging

Examples

始终如一，。
Tā zuò shì shǐ zhōng rú yī, cóng bù gǎi biàn.
He is consistent in his work and never changes.
始终如一。
Tā duì kè hù de tài dù shǐ zhōng rú yī.
His attitude toward customers is always the same.
始终如一。
Zhè jiā gōng sī de chǎn pǐn zhì liàng shǐ zhōng rú yī.
The product quality of this company is consistently good.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

始终beginning and end

始shǐbeginning终zhōngend

联合Coordinate

如一like one

如rúlike一yīone

动宾Verb + object

始终 means beginning and end, and 如一 means like one, so the whole idea is staying the same throughout.

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.

女台始

Meaning part形符xíngfú

女女nǚwoman

Sound part声符shēngfú

台

台tái始shǐ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 始 →

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 終; 终 is its simplified writing.

糹冬終

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

冬

冬dōng終zhōng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 終 pairs 糸 (a cord) with 冬 as a sound part; the simplified 终 is a later shorthand. An older form showed a knot at the end of a cord.

Open 终 →

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

女口如

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

女

女nǚ如rú

Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

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