同样
tóngyàng · HSK 2
same
🟰 同 = same + 样 = kind/type; literally 'same kind'
同 means 'same/together' and 样 means 'kind/manner/type'. Together 同样 means 'of the same kind' → same, equal, similar. Common in formal speech and writing.
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.
样 — wood radical 木 + sheep 羊
样 is a phono-semantic compound. The wood radical 木 originally hinted at meaning (a wooden model or sample), while 羊 (sheep) supplies the sound. From 'wooden pattern/template' it broadened to mean 'shape, form, kind, manner'.