bat1 joek3 ji4 tung4不約而同不约而同
Jyutpingbat1 joek3 ji4 tung4
Yalebāt yeuk yìh tùhng
Definition
To do or think the same thing by coincidence without prior agreement.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe a situation where people spontaneously perform the same action or share the same thought without any prior planning. It carries a sense of serendipity or a surprising alignment of minds. While it is a four-character idiom, it is frequently used in everyday speech to add a touch of descriptive flair to a story.
Examples
The two of them laughed out loud at the same time.
Everyone looked at the door at the same time, what happened?
Related words
Common phrases
to laugh at the same time
to say the same thing at the same time
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
