Answer to “同样(tóngyàng)” and “一样(yíyàng)” Are Not The Same!

“同样(tóngyàng)” and “一样(yíyàng)” both mean “the same.” They can be used interchangeably in most cases, but there are also some subtle distinctions between them. Let’s take a closer look.

while “同样(tóngyàng)” cannot.
For example, if you want to say “They taste the same” in Mandarin, you should say “它们尝起来一样(Tāmen chángqǐlái yíyàng)” but not “它们尝起来同样(Tāmen chángqǐlái tóngyàng).” The reason we can only use “一样(yíyàng)” in this example is because it is used as a complement, answering the question “how do they taste?”

Nǐde shǒujī hé wǒde shǒujī kànshàngqù yíyàng.
你的 手机   和 我的   手机   看上去          一样。
Your phone and my phone look the same.

Zhè píng xiāngshuǐ hé nà píng xiāngshuǐ wénqǐlái yíyàng.
这   瓶     香水        和   那 瓶    香水      闻起来   一样。
This perfume smells the same as that one.

Also, if you want to say “My friend is learning Chinese online, and I am, too” in Mandarin, you should say “我的朋友在网上学汉语，我也一样(Wǒde péngyou zàiwǎngshàng xuéhànyǔ, wǒ yě yíyàng).” It cannot be “我的朋友在网上学汉语，我也同样(Wǒde péngyou zàiwǎngshàng xuéhànyǔ, wǒ yě tóngyàng)” since “一样(yíyàng)” here is used as a predicate, or in other words, as the verb.

Wǒ xǐhuan lǚyóu,  wǒde nǚpéngyou yě yíyàng.
我  喜欢    旅游，  我的   女朋友       也  一样。
I like traveling, and my girlfriend does, too.

Wǒ duì zhōngguó wénhuà hěn gǎnxìngqù,  tā yě yíyàng.
我   对   中国           文化    很    感兴趣，    他 也  一样。
I’m very interested in Chinese culture, and he is, too.

Now let’s look at how we can use

while “一样(yíyàng)” cannot.
For example, if you want to say “He knows me. Likewise, I know him, too.” in Mandarin, that would be “他认识我，同样，我也认识他(Tā rènshi wǒ, tóngyàng, wǒ yě rènshi tā)” but not “他认识我，一样，我也认识他(Tā rènshi wǒ, yíyàng, wǒ yě rènshi tā)” since here “同样(tóngyàng)” is used as a conjunction, connecting both of the statements like the words “similarly” or “likewise.”

Nǐ xǐhuan tā, tóngyàng, tā yě xǐhuan nǐ.
你 喜欢    他， 同样，   他 也 喜欢   你。
You like him. Likewise, he likes you, too.

Wǒ měigè zhōumò dōu qù jiànshēnfang, tóngyàng, tā yě huì qù.
我   每个    周末       都  去  健身房，        同样，    她 也 会   去。
I go to the gym every weekend and she does, too.

In our test, we need a complement in the blank, and only “一样(yíyàng)” can be used in this way, so the answer is B.

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