一唱一和
yī chàng yī hè
one leads and the other chimes in; to back each other up
Character by character
一yī
one
one
唱chàng
sings
sings
一yī
one
one
和hè
chimes in
chimes in
Example
会上他们俩一唱一和，别人根本插不上话。
At the meeting the two of them backed each other up so well that nobody else could get a word in.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
和 is hè here, “to join in a song”. Neutral for crosstalk partners or a duet; for two people propping up each other’s argument it is usually disapproving.
Learn this in Lesson 216 · HSK 9+: 相声：说学逗唱 (Crosstalk: the art of talking funny)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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