CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

一模一样 (yī mú yī yàng)

exactly the same

Plain Answer

Source: Modern descriptive usage. Treated here as modern usage; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 一模一样 means exactly the same: Used when two things look, behave, or match so closely that there is no meaningful difference for the speaker's purpose.

Practice this meaning
Label
neutral / common spoken and written Chinese
Best objects
visual comparison, school comparison, product change
Do not use when
Do not use 一模一样 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 乱七八糟 or the contrast points toward 乱七八糟, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 一模一样 when the visual comparison sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 一模一样 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

visual comparison这两件衣服看起来一模一样。Zhè liǎng jiàn yīfu kàn qǐlái yī mú yī yàng.These two pieces of clothing look exactly the same.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 乱七八糟 before practicing 一模一样 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 乱七八糟, 马马虎虎, 一丝不苟

Read This First

一模一样 is introduced here through a modern usage entry rather than a fixed ancient anecdote; the source label is Modern descriptive usage, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

一模一样 means exactly the same. The important first reading is Used when two things look, behave, or match so closely that there is no meaningful difference for the speaker's purpose. This is a neutral phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 一模一样 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as visual comparison, school comparison, product change; then compare 乱七八糟 and 马马虎虎 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 一模一样 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: visual comparison plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used when two things look, behave, or match so closely that there is no meaningful difference for the speaker's purpose.

Literal meaning

one model, one appearance

  • 一 / one
  • 模 / model or pattern
  • 一 / one
  • 样 / appearance or kind

English equivalents

  • exactly the same exact

    Best for ordinary comparison.

  • identical near

    Works when the match is strong and not merely similar.

  • no real difference plain

    Useful when the speaker is judging practical equivalence.

How To Use It

Use 一模一样 when the reader can see why exactly the same is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it when the sameness is the point of the sentence.
  • It can describe appearance, answers, behavior, designs, or versions.
  • Adding 几乎 softens the claim to almost exactly the same.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 一模一样 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 乱七八糟 or the contrast points toward 乱七八糟, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it for vague similarity. Use 很像 when the match is loose.
  • Do not treat 模 as mo here; the common idiom reading is yī mú yī yàng.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 一模一样.

    The sentence drops in 一模一样 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for exactly the same appears before or after the phrase.

    一模一样 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare luan qi ba zao

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 一模一样 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 一模一样, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 乱七八糟 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    一模一样 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare luan qi ba zao

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 一模一样 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 一模一样 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a neutral descriptive judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 马马虎虎 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    一模一样 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare ma ma hu hu

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 一模一样 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 画蛇添足, use that contrast instead.

    一模一样 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare hua she tian zu

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 一模一样 with nearby learner choices

    一模一样 is often studied beside 乱七八糟 and 马马虎虎 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释一模一样，再比较乱七八糟和马马虎虎，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    luan qi ba zaoma ma hu hu

  2. 一模一样 with contrast checks

    一模一样 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 一丝不苟 and 画蛇添足; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用一模一样造句，再换成一丝不苟，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    yi si bu gouhua she tian zuluan qi ba zao

  3. 一模一样 in example-building drills

    一模一样 should be practiced with 乱七八糟 and 一丝不苟 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用一模一样写一个有证据的句子，再换成乱七八糟或一丝不苟说明判断为什么改变。

    luan qi ba zaoyi si bu gouma ma hu hu

  4. 一模一样 in story and source review

    一模一样 links best with 马马虎虎 and 画蛇添足 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背一模一样的故事，还要比较马马虎虎，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    ma ma hu huhua she tian zuluan qi ba zao

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Use 一模一样 when sameness is the speaker's main judgment. The objects can be clothes, answers, handwriting, versions, routines, or behavior. The phrase is useful because it is ordinary and clear, but it should still answer a comparison question: what two things are being compared, and why does the match matter?

The English choices are simple but not interchangeable. Exactly the same is the safest general translation. Identical is stronger and often more formal. No real difference is useful when two things are not literally identical but function the same in context. If the Chinese sentence includes 几乎, almost exactly the same is safer than identical.

Do not confuse 一模一样 with 一丝不苟. 一丝不苟 praises careful detail, while 一模一样 describes sameness. A copied answer may be 一模一样 but not 一丝不苟. A carefully edited document may be 一丝不苟 without matching another document. The learner task is to decide whether the sentence is comparing two things or evaluating one thing's precision.

A strong sentence should name both sides of the comparison. These two signatures, these two coats, the old version and the new version, or the twins' expressions all create a clear comparison. If the sentence only says something is very similar, the phrase may be too strong. Use 很像 for looser resemblance.

Before using 一模一样, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 一模一样 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 一模一样 with 乱七八糟 and 乱七八糟 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 一模一样, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

visual comparison is the first test zone for 一模一样, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: visual comparison, school comparison, product change, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among exactly the same, identical, no real difference as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with luan-qi-ba-zao and ma-ma-hu-hu; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 一模一样 is translated as exactly the same, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep neutral descriptive and the everyday-speech use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it for vague similarity. Use 很像 when the match is loose.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

visual comparison

这两件衣服看起来一模一样。

Zhè liǎng jiàn yīfu kàn qǐlái yī mú yī yàng.

These two pieces of clothing look exactly the same.

school comparison

他们的答案几乎一模一样，老师觉得很奇怪。

Tāmen de dá'àn jīhū yī mú yī yàng, lǎoshī juéde hěn qíguài.

Their answers were almost identical, which the teacher found strange.

product change

新版本不能和旧版本一模一样，必须解决真正的问题。

Xīn bǎnběn bùnéng hé jiù bǎnběn yī mú yī yàng, bìxū jiějué zhēnzhèng de wèntí.

The new version cannot be exactly the same as the old one; it must solve the real problem.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用一模一样。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong yi mu yi yang

Only use 一模一样 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说一模一样。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo yi mu yi yang

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 一模一样 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写一模一样。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie yi mu yi yang

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 一模一样 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以一模一样读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi yi mu yi yang du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 一模一样 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用一模一样造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong yi mu yi yang zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 一模一样.

Story and Cultural Context

一模一样 is not mainly learned through a dramatic historical story. The useful image is a mold or model: two things appear as if they came from the same pattern. In modern Chinese, the phrase is ordinary and practical. It can describe clothes, handwriting, answers, software versions, habits, and facial expressions. English speakers should notice that it is stronger than similar. The phrase says the difference is absent or not meaningful for the comparison being made. The phrase is easy to understand but easy to overuse. English speakers often want to use it for anything similar, but 一模一样 is stronger. It points to the same model, the same pattern, or a match so close that the difference is not useful. In speech, people may exaggerate slightly, especially with 看起来 or 几乎. In careful translation, however, the sentence should show whether the sameness is exact, visual, behavioral, or practical. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 一模一样 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The modern usage route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 一模一样 through visual comparison, school comparison, product change, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 一模一样 can point toward exactly the same, identical, no real difference, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 一模一样 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 乱七八糟 and 马马虎虎 and with 乱七八糟 and 画蛇添足 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 一模一样 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: Use the phrase when sameness itself is the point, not when two things are only somewhat alike.

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

一模一样 should first be read as a decision about exactly the same, not as a collectible story label. The usage history helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a neutral judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 一模一样 deliberately cover visual comparison, school comparison, product change, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 一模一样, compare it with 乱七八糟 and 马马虎虎 and, when possible, with 乱七八糟 and 画蛇添足. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

一模一样 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

一模一样 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first