一以贯之

一以貫之

yīyǐguànzhī

idiom

Meanings

1 consistent from beginning to end
2 to hold a single principle throughout

Characters

to thread through

(classical pronoun) it

Examples

他一以贯之地坚持原则。

Tā yīyǐguànzhī de jiānchí yuánzé.

He upholds his principles consistently from start to finish.

公司的价值观一以贯之。

Gōngsī de jiàzhíguān yīyǐguànzhī.

The company's values have remained consistent throughout.

这是他一以贯之的风格。

Zhè shì tā yīyǐguànzhī de fēnggé.

This is the style he has maintained throughout.

Tips

history

Straight from 《论语·里仁》: 子曰'参乎！吾道一以贯之。' Confucius tells 曾子 that his whole teaching is held together by a single thread. The idiom still carries that 'one principle running through everything' weight.

Stroke Order

一 yī

以 yǐ

贯 guàn

之 zhī