Chinese word

志同道合

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhì tóng dào hé

Meaning

  • idiombe like-minded

Example

我们是志同道合的朋友。wǒ men shì zhì tóng dào hé de péng yǒu

We are friends who share the same ideals.

Illustration for 志同道合 (be like-minded)

More examples

团队里有许多志同道合的人，大家合作很愉快。tuán duì lǐ yǒu xǔ duō zhì tóng dào hé de rén dà jiā hé zuò hěn yú kuài

There are many like-minded people on the team, and everyone enjoys working together.

Core concept

People share the same aims and guiding principles, so cooperation and close friendship come naturally.

Common phrases

  • 志同道合的人zhì tóng dào hé de rén

    like-minded people

Similar words

意气相投yì qì xiāng tóu: Getting along well in personality, feelings, and ideas, especially in conversation.
志趣相投zhì qù xiāng tóu: Having similar interests and aims, with an easy sense of comfort together.
同道中人tóng dào zhōng rén: Being companions who follow the same path and pursue the same goals, or colleagues in one field.

Definition in Chinese

形容人与人之间在志趣、目标或原则上相同，因而容易合作或成为密切朋友。xíng róng rén yǔ rén zhī jiān zài zhì qù mù biāo huò yuán zé shàng xiàng tóng yīn ér róng yì hé zuò huò chéng wéi mì qiè péng yǒu

Word origin

志 (zhì, "aim") + 同 (tóng, "same") + 道 (dào, "path") + 合 (hé, "fit") combine to portray people whose aims and ways of pursuing them are aligned.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this four-character idiom sounds more polished and formal than ordinary spoken wording, so it fits introductions, speeches, and descriptions of teams or friendships.

Opposites

  • 背道而驰bèi dào ér chígo in opposite directionsidiom

Word lists with this word