一样
Traditional: 一樣
yī yàng HSK 3

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

我们一样高。
Wǒmen yīyàng gāo.
We are the same height.
这本书一样。
Zhè běn shū yīyàng.
This book is identical.
我们的衣服一样。
Wǒmen de yīfu yīyàng.
Our clothes are the same.
我们一样高。
Wǒmen yīyàng gāo.
We are the same height.
颜色一样。
Yánsè yīyàng.
The colors are the same.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 一样 as 'one kind' (一 means 'one,' 样 means 'kind' or 'type')—if things are of one kind, they are the same. Associate it with the English phrase 'alike' to remember its comparative use.

📝 Usage Notes

一样 is neutral in register, suitable for both formal and informal contexts in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly used in everyday conversations, descriptions, and comparisons, such as when discussing similarities in appearance, price, quality, or feelings.

📖 Grammar Points

Key grammar patterns include: 1) Used as a predicate: 这两本书一样。 (These two books are the same.) 2) In comparisons: A 跟/和 B 一样 + adjective, e.g., 他和我一样高。 (He is as tall as me.) 3) Negation: 不一样 means 'not the same' or 'different.'

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, emphasizing sameness or harmony (一样) can reflect values of collectivism and social cohesion, but it's also commonly used in neutral, practical contexts without deep cultural nuance.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar words include 相同 (xiāngtóng), which also means 'same' but is slightly more formal and often used in written contexts, and 类似 (lèisì), meaning 'similar' but implying resemblance rather than exact sameness. 一样 is more versatile and colloquial for direct comparisons.

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