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千篇一律

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qiān piān yī lǜ
  • English Translation: A thousand pieces following the same pattern (monotonous/cookie-cutter)
  • Idiom Composition: A thousand (used as a metaphor for a large number)Pieces of writing, chapters, or articlesOne or the sameRule, rhythm, or style
  • Meaning: Literally meaning 'a thousand articles following one rule,' this idiom describes things that are monotonous, repetitive, and lack variation or creativity.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

千篇一律 contains the following nuances:

  • Lack of Creativity: The term carries a strong negative nuance, implying a lack of effort or imagination rather than just simple similarity. It suggests something is mechanical or 'stale'.
  • Broad Application: Originally a literary critique, it now describes anything from architecture and product design to lifestyles and meeting formats that have become repetitive.

3. Usage

千篇一律 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Criticism of content: Used to criticize movies, dramas, or articles that follow predictable patterns and lack freshness.
    • Example:现在的偶像剧剧情千篇一律,观众早就看腻了。
      Modern idol dramas have cookie-cutter plots; the audience has long been bored of them.)
  • Monotony of life: Used to lament a daily routine that is repetitive and lacks excitement or change.
    • Example:他厌倦了这种千篇一律的生活,决定辞职去旅行。
      He grew tired of this monotonous life and decided to quit his job and travel.)
  • Uniformity of methods: Used to criticize educational methods or designs that ignore individuality and are overly standardized.
    • Example:教育孩子不能千篇一律,要根据每个孩子的特点因材施教。
      Educating children should not be one-size-fits-all; one must teach according to each child's unique characteristics.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这几栋大楼的设计千篇一律,毫无美感可言。
    The designs of these buildings are all the same, lacking any sense of beauty.
  2. 如果不改变千篇一律的经营模式,这家公司很难生存下去。
    If they don't change this repetitive business model, it will be hard for the company to survive.
  3. 网上的评论文章大多千篇一律,缺乏独立的见解。
    Most online commentary is formulaic and lacks independent insight.
  4. 为了避免千篇一律,他在演讲中加入了很多幽默的元素。
    To avoid being monotonous, he added many humorous elements to his speech.

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This term is associated with the literary critic Zhong Rong (钟嵘) in his work *The Grading of Poets* (诗品) and the famous poet Su Shi (苏轼). It was originally used to lament poems that all sounded the same.
  • Modern Context: In modern discourse, it serves as a negative label for things that are 'unoriginal' or 'robotic,' reflecting a high cultural value placed on innovation and individuality.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) is used to criticize things that have become formulaic and boring. While it originally referred to literary styles, it is now used for anything—from product design to daily routines—that feels mechanical and lacks originality.

Idiom Essay

qiān piān yī lǜ
千篇一律
Monotonous and Repetitive
yǒu méi yǒu有没有guòzhè yàng这样degǎn jué感觉

Have you ever had this feeling?

dāngdǎ kāi打开shǒu jī手机shuāleyī huì er一会儿duǎn shì pín短视频huò zhě或者zǒu jìn走进yī jiā一家xīn kāi新开deshāng chǎng商场míng míng明明yǎn qián眼前dedōng xī东西dōushìxīndexīn lǐ心里quèjué de觉得fēi cháng非常shú xī熟悉shèn zhì甚至yǒu diǎn有点wú liáo无聊

When you open your phone and scroll through short videos for a while, or walk into a newly opened shopping mall, even though everything in front of you is new, you feel very familiar, even a bit bored.

hǎo xiàng好像suǒ yǒu所有dewǎng hóng网红gē qǔ歌曲xuán lǜ旋律dōuchà bu duō差不多hǎo xiàng好像suǒ yǒu所有delián suǒ连锁kā fēi diàn咖啡店zhuāng xiū装修fēng gé风格dōuyī mú yī yàng一模一样

It seems like all the viral songs have similar melodies; it seems like all the chain coffee shops have the exact same decoration style.

shèn zhì甚至néngcāidàoxià yī miǎo下一秒huìfā shēng发生shén me什么huò zhě或者xià yí gè下一个zhuǎn jiǎo转角huìkàn dào看到shén me什么

You can even guess what will happen in the next second, or what you will see around the next corner.

zhè zhǒng这种ràngrénjué de觉得fá wèi乏味quē fá缺乏jīng xǐ惊喜dezhuàng tài状态zhōng wén中文yǒuyí gè一个fēi cháng非常jīng zhǔn精准dechéng yǔ成语jiàoqiān piān yī lǜ千篇一律

This state that makes people feel dull and lacking in surprises has a very precise idiom in Chinese called 千篇一律.

zhè ge这个dezì miàn字面yì si意思hěnyǒuhuà miàn gǎn画面感

The literal meaning of this word is very vivid.

qiān piān千篇shìzhǐchéng qiān shàng wàn成千上万piānwén zhāng文章yī lǜ一律shìzhǐtóngyí gè一个gé lǜ格律tóngyī zhǒng一种mó shì模式

千篇 refers to thousands of articles; 一律 refers to the same rhythm or the same pattern.

zuì chū最初shìyòng lái用来pī píng批评xiě zuò写作derú guǒ如果yī qiān piān一千篇wén zhāng文章qǐ lái起来dōuxiàngshìyí gè一个mú zi模子chū lái出来degāiduōméi yì si没意思a

Originally, it was used to criticize writing: if a thousand articles read as if they were carved from the same mold, how uninteresting would that be?

hòu lái后来zhè ge这个defàn wéi范围biànle

Later, the scope of this word expanded.

fán shì凡是nà xiē那些jī xiè机械chóng fù重复méi yǒu没有gè xìng个性deshì wù事物wǒ men我们dōukě yǐ可以shuōtā men它们shìqiān piān yī lǜ千篇一律de

Anything that is mechanically repetitive and lacks individuality can be described as 千篇一律.

wèi shén me为什么wǒ men我们huìxǐ huān喜欢qiān piān yī lǜ千篇一律ne

Why do we dislike 千篇一律?

yīn wèi因为réndetiān xìng天性shìkě wàng渴望bù tóng不同de

Because human nature craves being different.

dāngwǒ men我们lǚ xíng旅行shírú guǒ如果měi gè每个chéng shì城市dejiàn zhù建筑dōubiàn chéng变成letóng yàng同样debō lí玻璃gāo lóu高楼wǒ men我们jiùhuìhuái niàn怀念nà xiē那些chōng mǎn充满běn dì本地tè sè特色delǎofáng zi房子dāngwǒ men我们kàndiàn yǐng电影shírú guǒ如果suǒ yǒu所有degù shì故事dōuzàichóng fù重复tóng yī gè同一个tào lù套路wǒ men我们jiùhuìshī qù失去kànxià qù下去denài xīn耐心

When we travel, if every city's buildings become the same glass high-rises, we miss those old houses full of local character; when we watch movies, if all stories repeat the same formula, we lose the patience to keep watching.

qiān piān yī lǜ千篇一律zuìkě pà可怕dedì fāng地方zài yú在于chǒuérzài yú在于lǎn

The most terrifying thing about 千篇一律 is not that it is ugly, but that it is lazy.

wǎng wǎng往往yì wèi zhe意味着rén men人们wèi le为了ān quán安全huò zhě或者shěng shì省事fàng qì放弃lechuàng zào创造zhǐ shì只是zàibù duàn不断fù zhì复制

It often means that for the sake of safety or convenience, people have given up on creation and are just constantly copying.

dāng rán当然shēng huó生活zhōngyǒu shí hòu有时候xū yào需要zhì xù秩序dànrú guǒ如果yī qiè一切dōubiàn dé变得kě yǐ可以yù cè预测shēng huó生活jiùhuìshī qù失去sè cǎi色彩

Of course, sometimes life needs order, but if everything becomes predictable, life loses its color.

suǒ yǐ所以zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实shìzàití xǐng提醒wǒ men我们xún zhǎo寻找nà xiē那些yī yàng一样dedōng xī东西

Therefore, this idiom is actually reminding us to look for those different things.

xià cì下次dāngkàn dào看到yí gè一个shè jì设计dú tè独特dexiǎo diàn小店huò zhě或者dàoyī běn一本guān diǎn观点xīn yǐng新颖deshūshíyě xǔ也许huìgèng jiā更加zhēn xī珍惜tā men它们

Next time, when you see a uniquely designed small shop or read a book with novel perspectives, you might cherish them even more.

yīn wèi因为zàiqiān piān yī lǜ千篇一律deshì jiè世界yì diǎn diǎn一点点dú tè独特degè xìng个性cáishìzuìzhēn guì珍贵de

Because in a 千篇一律 world, that little bit of unique personality is the most precious thing.

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