千篇一律
千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) literally means “thousand pieces one pattern” and expresses “lack of originality”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: qian pian yi lv, qian pian yi lv,千篇一律 meaning, 千篇一律 in english
Lack of originality
Pronunciation: qiān piān yī lǜ Literal meaning: Thousand pieces one pattern
Origin & Usage
The idiom 千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) originates from a critique by the Southern Dynasty poet Xie Lingyun (谢灵运) on the works of Zhang Hua (张华), a poet and politician of the Jin Dynasty. Xie Lingyun remarked that despite Zhang Hua's numerous poems, they all followed the same pattern, lacking innovation. This expression first appeared in the poetry critique 'Shi Pin' (《诗品》) by Zhong Rong (钟嵘), where Xie Lingyun's comment was cited. The characters 千 (thousand), 篇 (pieces), 一 (one), and 律 (pattern) together convey the idea of many works adhering to a single, monotonous style. In modern usage, it criticizes anything that is formulaic and devoid of originality, encouraging creativity and diversity in thought and expression.
Examples
English: "His writing style is so repetitive that it feels like reading the same thing over and over again."
Chinese: 他的写作风格千篇一律，让人觉得读的都是同样的内容。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Actions have consequences
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 千篇一律 mean in English?
千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) literally translates to “Thousand pieces one pattern” and is used to express “Lack of originality”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 千篇一律 used?
Situation: His writing style is so repetitive that it feels like reading the same thing over and over again.
What is the pinyin for 千篇一律?
The pinyin pronunciation for 千篇一律 is “qiān piān yī lǜ”.