则
Tap the pinyin to hear it
(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then; (bound form) standard; norm; (bound form) principle; (literary) to imitate; to follow; classifier for written items
- HSK 3.0
- Level 4
- Old HSK
- Level 4
- Strokes
- 6
- Radical
- 刀 +4
- Structure
- Left–right 左右
- Traditional
- 則
- Common rank
- #1,014
- Unicode
- U+5219
Sound it out + =
Formation & memory
Break the character into parts you already know.
How to remember it
rule · Heisig RSH #88
clam + saber
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Words with 则
The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一中原则 | One-China principle, the official doctrine that Taiwan is a province of China | |
| 会计准则理事会 | accounting standards council | |
| 不规则三角形 | scalene triangle (math.) | |
| 理则学 | logic | |
| 正则表达式 | regular expression (computing) | |
| 基本原则 | fundamental doctrine; guiding principle; raison d'être | |
| 以身作则 | to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model | |
| 处事原则 | a maxim; one's principles | |
| 三人行，则必有我师 | If three walk together, one of them can teach me sth (Confucius) | |
| 无原则 | unprincipled | |
| 不规则四边形 | irregular quadrilateral; trapezium | |
| 原则性 | principled | |
| 原则上 | in principle; generally | |
| 处世原则 | a maxim; one's principles | |
| 武则天 | Wu Zetian (624-705), Tang empress, reigned 690-705 | |
| 和平共处五项原则 | Zhou Enlai's Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence; 1954 Panchsheel series of agreements… | |
| 学如逆水行舟，不进则退 | study is like rowing upstream – if you don't keep pushing forward, you fall behind | |
| 水至清则无鱼，人至察则无徒 | (saying) water that is too clear has no fish, and one who is too severe has no friends | |
| 罗必达法则 | L'Hôpital's rule (math.) (Tw) | |
| 行为准则 | code of conduct; standard of conduct |
Sound family
These characters use 则 as their sound component — compare how they read.