一致
yīzhì · HSK 4
identical
🤝 一致 = one (一) + reach/arrive (致): all arrive at one point
一 means 'one' and 致 means 'to reach' or 'to send'. Together they mean everyone reaches the same point — agreement, consistency, unanimity. Used when opinions, actions, or results all line up.
一 — single horizontal stroke
一 is one of the simplest pictographs in Chinese, depicting a single horizontal line to represent the number one. It has retained essentially the same form since oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. By extension it also means 'first,' 'whole,' or 'same.'
致 — arrive 至 + strike/go 攵
Originally a compound of 至 (to arrive, showing an arrow reaching the ground) and 攵 (a hand with a stick, indicating action). Together they suggested 'to cause to arrive' or 'to send/deliver,' which broadened into modern senses like 'to send, devote, or bring about.'