则 (zé) — (conjunction) but; then (indicating contrast or consequence); (bound form) standard; norm; principle; (classifier) for written items (news, articles, rules, etc.)
Definition
A literary conjunction and bound-form noun: as a conjunction it marks contrast or consequence (whereas / then), more formal than 而. As a bound form it means 'norm/principle' (准则, 标准).
conjunction
butthen (indicating contrast or consequence)
bound form
standardnormprinciple
classifier
for written items (news, articles, rules, etc.)
Easily confused
Examples
- ，则。Tā xǐ huan yùn dòng, wǒ zé xǐ huan dú shū.He likes sports, whereas I like reading.
- ，。Yǐ chéng xìn wèi yuán zé, cái néng lì zú.Take integrity as the principle, then you can stand firm.
- 。Jīn tiān wǒ kàn dào yì zé yǒu qù de xīn wén.Today I saw an interesting piece of news.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 則; 则 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 則 pairs 鼎, a bronze cauldron, with 刂, a knife, possibly showing carving on a bronze vessel; the simplified 则 is a later shorthand.
Grammar
Appears in
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