典范

• Pinyin: diǎn fàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 典 = 册 + 丌 (classic texts, standards); 范 = 艹 + 氾 (mould, model, pattern)

Meaning

Model; paragon; exemplar. A person or thing serving as an outstanding example worthy of emulation.

Used in formal commendations, academic writing, and moral discourse. 道德典范 (moral exemplar), 艺术典范 (artistic model). Unlike 典型 (typical example), 典范 implies a normative standard of excellence that others should aspire to follow.

Examples

1. 这位科学家以严谨的治学态度和高尚的学术品格，成为年轻一代研究者竞相效仿的典范。 With his rigorous approach to scholarship and high academic integrity, the scientist has become a role model that young researchers strive to emulate.
2. 该企业将员工福利置于首位的经营理念，被视为业界人性化管理的典范。 The company’s management philosophy of putting employee welfare first is regarded as a model of humane management in the industry.
3. 这部古典文学作品被历代文人奉为遣词造句的典范，对后世写作产生了深远影响。 This classical literary work has long been revered as a model of word choice and sentence craft, profoundly influencing later writing.

Usage Guide

Context: education, moral discourse, commendation, academic writing

Tone: admiring

Do Say

• 这所学校以其卓越的教学成果和浓厚的人文氛围，树立了素质教育的典范，赢得了社会各界的广泛赞誉。(With its outstanding teaching results and rich humanistic atmosphere, this school has set a model for quality education and won wide acclaim from all sectors of society.)
• 他在逆境中坚持诚信经营的行为，被商业界誉为职业道德的典范，激励了无数创业者。(His conduct of maintaining integrity in business under adversity has been hailed by the business community as a paragon of professional ethics, inspiring countless entrepreneurs.)

Don't Say

• 典范榜样 — redundant; 典范 and 榜样 are near-synonyms; use 典范 in formal contexts and 榜样 in everyday speech, not together

Origin & History

典 (canon, standard text) + 范 (model, pattern) — a canonical model or standard

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal