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HSK 2

一起

together

adverbneutral1 episode
一
yī1st tone
起
qǐ3rd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
yìqǐ
Part of speech
adverb
Level
HSK 2
Strokes
11
Register
neutral
In episodes
1

Stroke order for 一起

一起 is written with 11 strokes (一: 1, 起: 10). The animation replays automatically.

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 by character

一yīone
+
起qǐto rise; to start; (here) place / location
=
一起

Memory hook: Literally 'one place' — when people end up in 'one place,' they're together.

Hear 一起 in real episodes

一起 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.

300,000 Homes Lost Power. The Crew Sent Out at Midnight Was Shot At — One Bullet Lodged in a Headrest.一起 spoken at natural speedeasy
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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

在一起zài yìqǐto be together (often romantically)
一起走yìqǐ zǒuto leave / walk together
一起吃饭yìqǐ chī fànto eat together
跟…一起gēn…yìqǐtogether with…
一起来yìqǐ láilet's all (do something)

Synonyms

一块儿yíkuàir

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yìtóng

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yígòng

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yìzhí

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').

FAQ

Related words from the same episodes

安全safe保护to protect地方place, part过去to pass继续to continue警察police马上immediately枪gun停电power outage外面outside修to repair

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