一致

• Pinyin: yī zhì
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = single horizontal stroke; 致 = 至 (arrive) + 攴 (strike/action)

Meaning

Consistent; unanimous; in agreement. Describes a state where things match, agree, or are in harmony.

一致 is used to describe agreement between people (意见一致 = unanimous opinion), consistency in behaviour (言行一致 = words match actions), or uniformity across things. 保持一致 (maintain consistency) and 步调一致 (act in unison) are common expressions.

Examples

1. 全体成员意见一致，决定下周开始新项目。 All members are in unanimous agreement and decided to start the new project next week.
2. 他的言行不一致，说一套做一套。 His words and actions are inconsistent — he says one thing and does another.
3. 请确保报告中的数据与表格中的数据一致。 Please ensure the data in the report is consistent with the data in the table.

Usage Guide

Context: work, discussion, everyday

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 大家意见一致，就按这个方案执行。(Everyone is in agreement, so let's go ahead with this plan.)
• 你的回答和他的完全一致，请确认没有抄袭。(Your answer is identical to his — please confirm there was no copying.)

Don't Say

• 不要把'一致'误用为'相同' — '一致'强调协调一致或意见统一，'相同'仅表示外观或内容相同 (Don't use 一致 as a substitute for 相同 — 一致 emphasises coordination or agreement, while 相同 just means identical)

Origin & History

一 (one/unified) + 致 (reach/bring about) — together meaning 'brought to one point', i.e. agreement or consistency.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal