諺語 · a single proverb
志同道合
What does 志同道合 (zhì tóng dào hé) mean?
志同道合 (zhì tóng dào hé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "aspiration same, way aligned." In use it means: To share the same ideals and pursue the same path; kindred spirits. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "aspiration same, way aligned."
The reading
There is a particular lightness that comes from walking beside someone who sees the same horizon you do. No translation is needed between people whose purposes already agree. Such companions are not found but recognized, like a key that was always meant for a particular lock.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Hou Han Shu 後漢書·劉秀傳 (Liú Xiù biography)
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 志同道合 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 志同道合 (zhì tóng dào hé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Hou Han Shu 後漢書·劉秀傳 (Liú Xiù biography). 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 志同道合?
In Mandarin it is zhì tóng dào hé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 志同道合 aloud in Mandarin.