CHENGYU
万众一心(wàn zhòng yī xīn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal, approving
- Source:
- 《后汉书·朱儁传》
MEANING
- Literal
- ten thousand people with one heart
- Figurative meaning
- united as one
ORIGIN STORY
The Later Han History warns: "Even ten thousand men of one heart cannot be withstood — how much less a hundred thousand!" The phrase turned the warning into the ideal of a people united.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“united as one”
EXAMPLES
只要万众一心，没有克服不了的困难。Zhǐyào wàn zhòng yī xīn, méiyǒu kèfú bù liǎo de kùnnan.HSK6
With ten thousand hearts beating as one, no difficulty stands.
灾难面前，全国人民万众一心。Zāinàn miànqián, quánguó rénmín wàn zhòng yī xīn.HSK6
Faced with disaster, the whole nation stands united as one.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is unity of purpose across many people — not just a big crowd.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01