一起

yī qǐ

in the same place

HSK 2

Character Breakdown

Usage of 一起

一起 (yīqǐ) is a very common adverb in Mandarin used to express doing something together with others. It implies joint action or shared time and is often used in invitations, descriptions of group activities, or emphasizing cooperation.

Common contexts

Collocations and patterns

  • 一起 + verb: This is the most frequent pattern, meaning "to do [verb] together".
  • + person + 一起 + verb: Specifies who is involved in the joint action.

Nuances

Using 一起 highlights cooperation or companionship. It often conveys a friendly or inclusive tone. It is not used for mere coincidence of location without interaction; for that, other words like "同时" or "" might be more appropriate.

Common confusion

Don't confuse 一起 with "一起" which is a noun phrase meaning "things that are together". 一起 is an adverb modifying verbs.

Character notes

  • means "one" or "together" in this context.
  • means "to rise" or "to begin," contributing the sense of starting an action together.

Example Sentences

我们一起去看电影吧。

Wǒmen yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ba.

Let's go watch a movie together.

他们喜欢一起学习中文。

Tāmen xǐhuān yīqǐ xuéxí zhōngwén.

They like studying Chinese together.

大家一起努力,问题一定能解决。

Dàjiā yīqǐ nǔlì, wèntí yídìng néng jiějué.

If everyone works hard together, the problem can definitely be solved.

我们一起吃饭吧。

Wǒmen yīqǐ chīfàn ba.

Let's eat together.

他和我一起工作。

Tā hé wǒ yīqǐ gōngzuò.

He works together with me.