千篇一律 — “To be cast in the same mold”
千篇一律 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be cast in the same mold”. To be monotonous and uninspired; to follow a set pattern without originality or variety. Literally, “a thousand articles, one pattern”.
Frequency
千篇一律 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 千qiān
- 篇piān
- 一yī
- 律lǜ
千篇一律 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 千篇一律
每次团队会议的报告都千篇一律，让人觉得缺乏新意。
The reports at every team meeting are so monotonous, making people feel they lack originality.
Origin and Story of 千篇一律
During the Jin Dynasty, Sikong Zhang Hua frequently imitated the works of Wang Can, a renowned poet from the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Zhang Hua's poems often depicted delicate affections, emphasizing ornate diction and rhetorical devices. While he gained some fame at the time, true connoisseurs did not particularly appreciate his work.
Xie Lingyun, a poet from the Southern Dynasties, commented that Zhang Hua's poems were "qian pian yi lü" (a thousand articles, one pattern), meaning they were monotonous and lacked novelty.
Idioms Related to 千篇一律
More idioms starting with 千
- qiān千wàn万mǎi买lín邻Good neighbors are invaluable
- qiān千sī丝wàn万lǚ缕numerous intricate and complex connections
- qiān千chéng乘wàn万qí骑Magnificent array of chariots and cavalry
- qiān千shèng乘zhī之guó国A powerful feudal state
- qiān千chéng乘zhī之wáng王A paramount sovereign or emperor
- qiān千le了wàn万dàng当everything properly settled and arranged
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百liǎo了Everything is settled
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百dàng当Everything properly arranged and settled
- qiān千rén人suǒ所zhǐ指universally condemned
- qiān千rén人nuò诺nuò诺，，bù不rú如yī一shì士è谔è谔One honest critic is better than a thousand yes-men
- qiān千chóu仇wàn万hèn恨countless grudges and deep hatred
Questions about 千篇一律
- What does 千篇一律 mean?
- 千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be cast in the same mold”.
- How do you pronounce 千篇一律?
- 千篇一律 is pronounced qiān piān yī lǜ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 千篇一律 literally mean?
- Literally, 千篇一律 means “a thousand articles, one pattern”. It is used to mean “to be cast in the same mold”.
- Where does 千篇一律 come from?
- 千篇一律 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 千篇一律?
- 一千篇文章都一个样。指文章公式化。也比喻办事按一个格式，非常机械。