CHENGYU
不约而同(bù yuē ér tóng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 《史记·平津侯主父列传》
MEANING
- Literal
- to agree without prior arrangement
- Figurative meaning
- to do or think the same thing independently
ORIGIN STORY
The Records of the Grand Historian describes people who "move together without plotting, and meet in agreement without any pact". The phrase honors minds that reach the same answer on their own.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“as if by common consent”
EXAMPLES
大家不约而同地鼓起掌来。Dàjiā bù yuē ér tóng de gǔ qǐ zhǎng lái.HSK6
Everyone burst into applause at once, with no one arranging it.
两人不约而同地想到了同一个办法。Liǎng rén bù yuē ér tóng de xiǎng dào le tóng yí ge bànfǎ.HSK6
The two hit on the same idea independently.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is spontaneous agreement without prior discussion — not a planned joint action.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01