諺語 · a single proverb
一模一樣
Simplified: 一模一样
What does 一模一樣 (yī mú yī yàng) mean?
一模一樣 (yī mú yī yàng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "from the same mold, the same form." In use it means: Exactly alike; identical in every observable way. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "from the same mold, the same form."
The reading
The copies are perfect. But something about the original still feels different, and the difference is not in the shape. It is in the fact that the original was first, was uncertain, was made without knowing if the shape would work. Copies inherit the form. They do not inherit the risk.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common expression; craft and manufacturing tradition
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一模一樣 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一模一樣 (yī mú yī yàng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common expression; craft and manufacturing tradition. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 一模一樣?
In Mandarin it is yī mú yī yàng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一模一樣 aloud in Mandarin.