格式

• Pinyin: gé shi
• Hanzi breakdown: 格 = 木 + 各 (standard structure); 式 = 工 + 弋 (form, mode, template)

Meaning

Format; template; standard layout. The prescribed structure or arrangement of a document, file, or piece of writing.

Essential in professional, academic, and technical contexts. Refers to the structural requirements of documents (报告格式), digital files (文件格式 — file format), or written compositions. 格式化 (formatting) is used in computing to mean both formatting a document and wiping a storage device. Not to be confused with 形式 (form/manner in a broader sense).

Examples

1. 请按照公司统一规定的格式撰写工作总结，提交前须经部门主管审核。 Please write your work summary according to the company’s standardized format; it must be reviewed by the department manager before submission.
2. 这份合同的格式不符合法定要求，律师建议重新排版后再签字盖章。 The format of this contract doesn’t meet legal requirements, and the lawyer recommends reformatting it before signing and stamping it.
3. 不同学术期刊对论文引用格式的要求各有差异，投稿前务必仔细核对。 Different academic journals have different requirements for citation formats, so be sure to check carefully before submitting.

Usage Guide

Context: office, academic, legal, computing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 文件上传前请确认格式为PDF，其他格式可能无法被系统正确识别。(Please confirm the file format is PDF before uploading — other formats may not be correctly recognised by the system.)
• 论文的参考文献格式必须统一，否则将被编辑部退回修改。(The citation format in the paper must be consistent — otherwise the editorial office will return it for revision.)

Don't Say

• 格式 vs 形式 — 格式 refers to a specific structural template (document/file format); 形式 means form or manner in a broader, more abstract sense; they are not interchangeable

Origin & History

格 = 木 + 各 (standard, framework); 式 = 工 + 弋 (form, style, mode)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal