不谋而合

不謀而合
bùmóu'érhé
idiom #39,143

Meanings

  1. 1 to agree without prior consultation
  2. 2 to happen to hold the same view
  3. 3 to converge on the same idea independently

Examples

HSK 4
Wǒmen de xiǎngfǎ bùmóu'érhé.
Our thoughts happened to coincide.
HSK 5
Liǎng wèi kēxuéjiā de yánjiū jiélùn bùmóu'érhé.
The two scientists independently reached the same conclusion.
HSK 5
Tā de fāng'àn hé wǒ de xiǎngfǎ bùmóu'érhé.
His proposal matched my own ideas exactly, though we never discussed it.

Tips

history
From Gan Bao's 《搜神记》 (Jin dynasty): 二人之言,不谋而合 - the words of two people matched without any prior consultation. A classical template for the phrase's meaning.
usage
Emphasizes independent agreement - two or more parties arrived at the same conclusion separately. Compare with 一拍即合 which stresses quick agreement after meeting.

Stroke Order

不 bù
谋 móu
而 ér
合 hé