# 不约而同

bù yuē ér tóng

Do the same thing without arranging it

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Agree without making an agreement

**Traditional Chinese:** 不約而同

**Register:** Neutral · conversational

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Use when people independently reach the same idea or action.

There should be no prior coordination.

## Behind the words

The expression contrasts agreement with the absence of a prior arrangement. It describes spontaneous shared responses in both historical and modern writing.

约 here concerns arranging or agreeing on something in advance. The expression highlights matching actions or reactions that occur independently. It can describe shared understanding, coincidence, or a common response to an obvious situation. People deliberately following an agreed plan are acting together, but not 不约而同. It commonly appears before a verb with 地.

## Examples

听到这个消息，我们不约而同地笑了。

### Traditional Chinese

聽到這個消息，我們不約而同地笑了。

tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xī ， wǒ men bù yuē ér tóng dì xiào le 。

Hearing the news, we all smiled without planning to.

看到老人上车，几个乘客不约而同地站了起来。

### Traditional Chinese

看到老人上車，幾個乘客不約而同地站了起來。

kàn dào lǎo rén shàng chē ， jǐ gè chéng kè bù yuē ér tóng dì zhàn le qǐ lái 。

Several passengers stood up at the same time when an elderly person boarded, without arranging it.

听到这个建议，我们不约而同地笑了。

### Traditional Chinese

聽到這個建議，我們不約而同地笑了。

tīng dào zhè ge jiàn yì ， wǒ men bù yuē ér tóng dì xiào le 。

We all laughed at the suggestion without planning the reaction.

两位作家不约而同地选择了同一个历史人物作为主角。

### Traditional Chinese

兩位作家不約而同地選擇了同一個歷史人物作為主角。

liǎng wèi zuò jiā bù yuē ér tóng dì xuǎn zé le tóng yí gè lì shǐ rén wù zuò wéi zhǔ jué 。

The two writers independently chose the same historical figure as their main character.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1346&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%8D%E7%B4%84%E8%80%8C%E5%90%8C)

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