顺从

• Pinyin: shùn cóng
• Hanzi breakdown: 顺 = 川 + 页 — going with the flow; 从 = 人 + 人 — one person following another

Meaning

To comply with; to be obedient; to submit to. Yielding to the wishes, authority, or demands of another.

Can carry a neutral to slightly negative connotation depending on context. In family contexts it suggests filial obedience; in professional contexts it may imply passive submission to authority. The opposite is 反抗 (to resist) or 违逆 (to defy).

Examples

1. 她从小被教导要顺从长辈的意见，从不敢表达不同看法。 She was taught from childhood to obey her elders’ opinions and never dared to express a different view.
2. 新员工往往选择顺从上级的安排，等熟悉环境后再提出自己的想法。 New employees often choose to go along with their superiors’ arrangements, and only share their own ideas after they’ve settled in.
3. 面对不合理的要求，一味顺从只会让对方得寸进尺。 When faced with unreasonable demands, blind compliance only encourages the other side to push even further.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, workplace, culture, psychology

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在传统观念中，顺从被视为一种美德，但过度顺从有时会压抑个人的自主性。(In traditional values, compliance is regarded as a virtue, but excessive obedience can sometimes suppress an individual's autonomy.)
• 孩子在某些情况下需要顺从父母，但在原则问题上也应该学会表达自己的立场。(Children need to comply with their parents in certain situations, but they should also learn to express their own position on matters of principle.)

Don't Say

• 不要将 顺从 与 配合 混淆 — 顺从 implies yielding to authority or pressure, while 配合 means cooperative coordination between equals

Origin & History

顺 (comply, go along with) + 从 (follow, obey)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal