📖 Meaning
Things of the same kind naturally gather together. It refers to people of similar character or interests associating with one another, often implying that bad people share the same corrupt tastes and collude together. It is synonymous with the more common idiom 物以类聚.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the well-known phrase 物以类聚 (things gather by kind), which expresses the ancient Chinese philosophical observation that like attracts like. The concept reflects the natural tendency for beings of similar nature to associate with one another. Over time, the phrase came to carry a derogatory connotation, often used to describe wrongdoers who flock together due to shared vices. It appears in classical Chinese literature as an expression of this universal principle of affinity.
💡 Example Usage
这几个骗子经常混在一起，真是物以群分。
These swindlers always hang out together—truly, birds of a feather flock together.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 物以群分
- Pinyin: wù yǐ qún fēn
- Literal Translation: things, by, groups, divide
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4