📖 Meaning
Different tunes played with equal skill. A metaphor for different approaches or expressions that achieve the same excellent result. It describes situations where methods differ but the outcome is equally successful.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Tang Dynasty scholar Han Yu's work 'Jin Xue Jie' (进学解). In it, Han Yu compared two great Han Dynasty writers, Yang Xiong (courtesy name Ziyun) and Sima Xiangru, noting that despite their different literary styles, their accomplishments were equally outstanding. He used the metaphor of different melodies performed with equal skill to illustrate that divergent approaches can reach the same level of excellence.
💡 Example Usage
两种方案虽思路不同，却同工异曲，都达到了预期效果。
Although the two plans differ in approach, they are like different tunes played equally well—both achieve the desired result.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 同工异曲
- Pinyin: tóng gōng yì qǔ
- Literal Translation: same, skillful, different, tune
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4