限制

• Pinyin: xiàn zhì
• Hanzi breakdown: 限 = 阜 (mound/hill radical) + 艮 (stop, phonetic) — boundary; 制 = 刀 (knife) + 制 — to cut/control

Meaning

To restrict; to limit; restriction. Used as a verb meaning 'to impose limits' and as a noun meaning 'a restriction or limitation.'

A versatile word used in legal, social, and everyday contexts. Can refer to restrictions on behaviour, access, quantity, or rights. Commonly appears in compound phrases like 限制条件 (restrictive conditions), 年龄限制 (age restriction), and 不受限制 (without restriction).

Examples

1. 这里的停车位有时间限制，每次最多停两小时。 The parking spaces here have a time restriction — a maximum of two hours per visit.
2. 政府出台了新政策，限制高污染企业的生产。 The government introduced a new policy restricting the production of highly polluting enterprises.
3. 他的发展受到了条件的限制，没能充分发挥才能。 His development was constrained by his circumstances, and he was unable to fully realise his talent.

Usage Guide

Context: law, policy, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个网站对未成年人访问有限制。(This website has restrictions on access for minors.)
• 比赛对参赛者的年龄没有限制。(The competition has no age restriction for participants.)

Don't Say

• 把限制用于表示完全禁止的情况。(Don't use 限制 when you mean a complete ban — use 禁止 for total prohibition; 限制 means 'to limit or restrict,' not 'to forbid entirely.')

Origin & History

Compound of 限 (boundary/limit) and 制 (system/control), together meaning 'to establish a controlling boundary.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal