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墨守成规 (mò shǒu chéng guī) — to stick to old ways; to be conservative and resist change

Definition

A formal, written four-character idiom meaning to stubbornly stick to old rules and resist change, with a negative connotation. Use it in writing or speeches, not casual conversation.

verb
to stick to old waysto be conservative and resist change

Examples

  • 墨守成规，。
    Gōng sī rú guǒ yì zhí mò shǒu chéng guī, jiù huì bèi shì chǎng táo tài.
    If a company always sticks to old ways, it will be eliminated by the market.
  • 墨守成规，。
    Nián qīng rén bú yào mò shǒu chéng guī, yào yǒng yú cháng shì xīn fāng fǎ.
    Young people shouldn't be hidebound; they should dare to try new methods.
  • 墨守成规。
    Jiào yù gǎi gé bì xū dǎ pò mò shǒu chéng guī de sī xiǎng.
    Educational reform must break away from conservative thinking.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

墨守Mozi-style defense
墨mòMozi守shǒudefend
偏正Modifier + head
成规established rules
成chéngestablished规guīrules
偏正Modifier + head

墨 (Mozi) + 守 (defend) + 成 (established) + 规 (rules): stubbornly keeping old rules.

Characters in this word

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
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
黑
黑hēi墨mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

墨 is built from 土 (soil) and 黑, with 黑 giving the sound.

Open 墨 →

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

  • 宀宀miánroof; building
  • 寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Open 守 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 規; 规 is its simplified writing.

  • 夫夫fūhusband
  • 見見jiànsee

The simplified 规 is a shorthand; the traditional form 規 shows a cross-shaped compass in its early drawing, and its later form uses 夫 and 見.

Open 规 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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