则

• Pinyin: zé
• Desglose de hanzi: 则 = 贝 (shell/treasure) + 刂 (knife radical) — carving principles

Significado

Entonces; en ese caso; norma o principio (uso formal).

Highly versatile classical Chinese word still common in formal modern Chinese. Used in correlative constructions like 如果...则... (if...then...), 否则 (otherwise), and 原则 (principle). Also serves as a measure word for news items or jokes.

Ejemplos

1. 如果天气好，则我们按原计划出发；否则，活动改期举行。
2. 既知其不可为，则当另寻他路，不必强行。
3. 古人云，穷则独善其身，达则兼济天下。

Guía de uso

Contexto: writing, classical texts, formal speech

Tono: formal

Correcto

• 学如逆水行舟，不进则退，必须持续努力。(Learning is like rowing upstream — if you don't advance, you fall back; you must keep working hard.)
• 欲速则不达，做事要循序渐进才能成功。(Haste makes waste — one must proceed step by step to succeed.)

Incorrecto

• 则我去 — in colloquial speech, use 那我就去 instead; 则 is literary

Origen e historia

则 originally depicted a knife (刂) carving rules on bamboo strips (贝)

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal