一起
together
yìqǐ
What does 一起 mean?
一起 (yìqǐ) means 'together' — doing something jointly with someone else. It functions as an adverb and goes BEFORE the verb: 我们一起去 ('let's go together'), not 我们去一起. The implied subject is plural (we / us / them), so a 'with whom' phrase usually appears earlier in the sentence using 跟 or 和: 我跟朋友一起吃饭 ('I'm eating with friends'). 一起 can also be a noun meaning 'one place / the same spot' in expressions like 在一起 ('to be together,' often romantically: 他们在一起了 — 'they're a couple now'). Note the tone change: 一 is normally yī (first tone), but before a fourth-tone syllable like 起 (qǐ, third tone) it shifts to yì. Pinyin reflects this: yìqǐ.
Character breakdown
one
to rise; to start; (here) place / location
Memory hook: Literally 'one place' — when people end up in 'one place,' they're together.
Example sentences
我们一起去吃饭吧。
Wǒmen yìqǐ qù chī fàn ba.
Let's go eat together.
spoken
我跟妈妈一起看电视。
Wǒ gēn māma yìqǐ kàn diànshì.
I'm watching TV with mom.
spoken
他们在一起两年了。
Tāmen zài yìqǐ liǎng nián le.
They've been together (a couple) for two years.
neutral
周末你想一起打篮球吗？
Zhōumò nǐ xiǎng yìqǐ dǎ lánqiú ma?
Want to play basketball together this weekend?
spoken
Common phrases with 一起
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
一起 appears in 4 podcast episodes at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
Same meaning as 一起, but more colloquial and northern-flavored. 一起 works everywhere; 一块儿 sounds chattier and very Beijing.
一同 is the formal/written equivalent of 一起 ('jointly / together'). Use it in speeches, formal letters, or news writing; in conversation 一起 is normal.
Don't confuse 一起 with
一共 means 'altogether / in total' (sums and counts: 一共多少钱 — 'how much in total?'). 一起 means 'together' (doing something jointly). Different jobs entirely.
一直 means 'continuously / all along' (a time adverb). 一起 means 'together' (a manner adverb). 我一直学中文 ('I've been studying Chinese all along') ≠ 我们一起学中文 ('we study Chinese together').