原则

• Pinyin: yuán zé
• Hanzi breakdown: 原 = 厂 + 泉, original/source; 则 = 贝 (shell/value) + 刂(knife), rule or criterion

Meaning

Principle; rule. A fundamental standard or belief that guides behaviour and decision-making.

Used in both personal ethics and institutional contexts. 坚持原则 means to stick to one's principles. 原则上 means in principle/as a rule. 原则问题 is a matter of principle — something non-negotiable. Having 原则 is considered a positive trait in Chinese culture, suggesting integrity and moral backbone.

Examples

1. 做人要有原则，不能为了一时的利益而放弃自己的底线。 In life, you must have principles and not give up your moral bottom line for short-term gain.
2. 公司在用人方面坚持诚信第一的原则，从不妥协。 The company firmly upholds the principle of integrity first when hiring and never compromises on it.
3. 他做事非常有原则，从来不接受任何形式的不合理好处。 He conducts himself with great principle and never accepts any form of unreasonable benefit.

Usage Guide

Context: ethics, professional, everyday

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这是我的原则，我不会轻易改变。(This is my principle — I will not change it easily.)
• 我们原则上同意这个方案，但细节还需要讨论。(We agree to this plan in principle, but the details still need to be discussed.)

Don't Say

• 将'原则'和'规则'完全等同 (Don't treat 原则 and 规则 as identical — 原则 refers to a deep moral or ideological principle, while 规则 refers to a concrete rule or regulation)

Origin & History

A compound of 原 (original/source) and 则 (rule/criterion; 贝 shell/money + 刂 knife, depicting carving rules into value). Together they mean the original guiding rule.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal