异口同声

• Pinyin: yì kǒu tóng shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 异 = 田 + 共 (field + together — different/various); 口 = mouth pictograph; 同 = 囗 + 一 (enclosure + one — all the same); 声 = 殸 + 耳 (resonant vessel + ear — sound)

Meaning

Speaking with one voice; saying the same thing unanimously. Describes a situation where different people express the same view or use the same words simultaneously.

Can be used neutrally to describe genuine consensus or ironically to hint at coordinated or pressured uniformity of opinion. The emphasis is on the surprising unity of multiple distinct voices. Often followed by a direct quotation or 地 plus a verb to describe what was said or done in unison.

Examples

1. 评委们异口同声地表示，这位年轻选手的现场即兴表演是本届大赛中最令人印象深刻的。 The judges all said in unison that the young contestant’s live improvisation was the most unforgettable performance of this year’s competition.
2. 消费者协会收到的投诉中，购买者异口同声地反映该款智能手表的续航时间严重缩水，与官方宣传严重不符。 Among the complaints received by the consumer association, buyers all reported the same thing: the smartwatch’s battery life has dropped dramatically and is seriously at odds with the official marketing claims.
3. 学生们异口同声地回答了老师的提问，整齐响亮的声音充满了整个教室，令老师不禁莞尔。 The students answered the teacher’s question in unison; their loud, perfectly coordinated voices filled the classroom and made the teacher smile.

Usage Guide

Context: reporting, group dynamics, consensus, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 接受采访的十二位前员工异口同声地指出，公司在裁员前从未提供任何书面预警，也未按劳动合同规定支付相应的经济补偿。(All twelve former employees interviewed spoke with one voice in pointing out that the company had never issued any written advance notice before the layoffs and had not paid the corresponding severance compensation as stipulated in their labour contracts.)
• 现场观众异口同声地为年轻运动员的夺冠表现喝彩，经久不息的掌声与欢呼声让整个体育馆沸腾起来。(The audience at the venue unanimously cheered for the young athlete's championship performance, and the prolonged applause and cheering that followed set the entire stadium alight.)

Don't Say

• 他们异口同声但意见不同 — 异口同声 specifically means everyone says the same thing; combining it with 意见不同 is self-contradictory; use 众说纷纭 for divergent opinions

Origin & History

异 (different/various — 田 field + 共 together; different things) + 口 (mouth — a pictograph) + 同 (same — 囗 enclosure + 一 one; all within one) + 声 (sound — 殸 resonant vessel + 耳 ear)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal