常规

• Pinyin: cháng guī
• Hanzi breakdown: 常 = 尚 + 巾, often or constant; 规 = 夫 + 见, rule or standard

Meaning

Routine; conventional; standard practice. The normal or customary way of doing things.

A noun referring to established procedures, standard methods, or conventional practices. Used in medical, military, business, and everyday contexts to distinguish normal approaches from exceptional ones. Often contrasted with 非常规 (unconventional) or 特殊 (special).

Examples

1. 这只是常规检查，不用太紧张。 This is just a routine checkup — no need to be nervous.
2. 他打破常规，采用了全新的教学方法。 He broke from convention and adopted an entirely new teaching method.
3. 按照常规程序，这份申请需要两周才能批下来。 According to standard procedure, this application will take two weeks to be approved.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, business, procedures

Tone: matter-of-fact

Do Say

• 常规手术的风险很低，请放心。(The risk of routine surgery is very low — please don't worry.)
• 有时候需要突破常规，才能取得创新。(Sometimes you need to break from convention to achieve innovation.)

Don't Say

• 注意'常规'和'惯例'的细微差别 (Note the subtle difference between 常规 'standard procedure' and 惯例 'custom/tradition' — 常规 is more about established norms, 惯例 about habitual practices)

Origin & History

Compound of 常 (常常, often/usual) + 规 (rule, standard). Literally 'usual rules' or 'standard practices.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal