同一 tóngyī identical
identical; the same
How to remember 同一: 同 same + 一 one = identical.
Characters
How it is used
- Attributive only - always sits before a noun (often with a measure word): 同一个人 (tóngyī ge rén) - the same person, 同一时间 (tóngyī shíjiān) - the same time.
- Cannot be used predicatively; don't say 这两个东西同一 for "these two things are the same" - use 一样 (yíyàng) instead.
- 一样 compares two things after the subject (A和B一样), while 同一 modifies a noun to say it's a single shared thing, not two separately compared items.
Example sentences
- 我们偶然乘上了同一辆列车。 Wǒmen ǒurán chéngshàng le tóng yīliàng lièchē.We happened to be on the same train.
- 我们偶然间乘了同一列列车。 Wǒmen ǒuránjiān chéng le tóngyī liè lièchē.We were on the same train by chance.
- 我们大家住在同一个宿舍。 Wǒmen dàjiā zhù zài tóngyīgè sùshè.We all live in the same dorm.