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习俗 (xí sú) — custom, tradition (especially local or cultural practices)

Definition

习俗 (xísú) refers to customs shared by a community, especially traditional cultural practices. It sits between 风俗 (broader social folkways) and 传统 (deep-rooted cultural traditions) — concrete practices people follow.

noun
customtradition (especially local or cultural practices)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 习俗。
    Měi gè dì fāng dōu yǒu zì jǐ dú tè de xí sú.
    Every place has its own unique customs.
  • 习俗。
    Wǒ men yīng gāi zūn zhòng dāng dì rén de xí sú.
    We should respect the local people's customs.
  • 习俗。
    Zhè xiē xí sú yǐ jīng liú chuán le jǐ bǎi nián.
    These customs have been passed down for hundreds of years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

习xípractice
俗súcustom

习俗 joins 习 (practice) and 俗 (custom), naming customary practices of a group.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ俗sú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俗 is built from 亻, a person, and 谷, which gives the sound; it refers to customs of people.

Open 俗 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Society & Public Life

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