成规 (chéng guī) — established practice; set rules; (figurative) rut; stagnation from following outdated rules

Definition

成规 means rigid, established rules that have become a barrier to change. In modern usage it almost always carries a negative sense (墨守成规 = 'stuck in a rut'), unlike neutral 规则, which just means rules.

noun
established practiceset rules(figurative) rutstagnation from following outdated rules

Examples

  • Zhè jiā gōng sī mò shǒu chéng guī, hěn nán chuàng xīn.
    This company sticks to old rules and finds it hard to innovate.
  • 成规
    Wǒ men yīng gāi dǎ pò chéng guī, cháng shì xīn fāng fǎ.
    We should break the established rules and try new methods.
  • 成规
    Tā yàn juàn le bàn gōng shì de chéng guī, jué dìng huàn gōng zuò.
    He was tired of the rut in the office and decided to change jobs.

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