一如既往
- Literal
- entirely as in what has gone before
- Figurative
- To carry on exactly as before, with the same attitude or the same course, unchanged by the passing of time.
Where does 一如既往 come from?
It does not come from a particular story: it is a classical-style formula that has stayed in today's formal Chinese. Here 一 means "wholly, entirely"; 如 is "as"; and 既往 is "what has already passed." You see it constantly in announcements, speeches, and thank-you notes — "we will go on supporting you, as always" — and it also works in conversation to say that someone has not changed one bit, whether that is meant as praise or as a complaint.
How is 一如既往 used? Two examples
- 谢谢大家一如既往的支持。
Thank you all for your continued support.
- 换了新老板，他工作起来还是一如既往地认真。
He has a new boss now, but he still works as conscientiously as ever.
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