规模

• Pinyin: guī mó
• Hanzi breakdown: 规 = 夫 (man) + 见 (see) — observing standards; 模 = 木 (wood) + 莫 (none, phonetic) — a wooden mould or pattern

Meaning

Scale; scope; size. Refers to the extent or magnitude of something, especially in business, construction, or organised activities.

Commonly used to describe the size of companies (公司规模), events (活动规模), projects (工程规模), or economies (经济规模). Often appears with adjectives like 大规模 (large-scale) or 小规模 (small-scale). A formal word frequently used in news, reports, and business discussions.

Examples

1. 这家公司的规模越来越大了。 The scale of this company is getting bigger and bigger.
2. 政府计划大规模改造旧城区。 The government plans to carry out large-scale renovation of the old city district.
3. 这次展览的规模比去年大了很多。 The scale of this exhibition is much larger than last year.

Usage Guide

Context: business, news, economics

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这个项目的规模很大。(The scale of this project is very large.)
• 我们需要扩大生产规模。(We need to expand the scale of production.)

Don't Say

• 你家的规模怎么样 (Don't use 规模 for a household — it describes organisations, businesses, or events, not personal homes)

Origin & History

规 (guī, compass/standard) + 模 (mó, model/pattern) — literally 'standard pattern,' referring to the established dimensions or scope of something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal