一以贯之

一以貫之

yìyǐ-guànzhī

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

to thread through

(classical pronoun) it

Examples

HSK 5

他一以贯之地坚持原则。

Tā yìyǐguànzhī de jiānchí yuánzé.

He upholds his principles consistently from start to finish.

HSK 5

这是他一以贯之的风格。

Zhè shì tā yìyǐguànzhī de fēnggé.

This is the style he has maintained throughout.

HSK 7-9

公司的价值观一以贯之。

Gōngsī de jiàzhíguān yìyǐguànzhī.

The company's values have remained consistent 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