则

• 拼音: zé
• 汉字拆解: 则 = 贝 (shell/treasure) + 刂 (knife radical) — carving principles

含义

Then; in that case; a rule or principle. A literary conjunction indicating consequence, contrast, or enumeration.

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.

例句

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。

用法指南

语境: writing, classical texts, formal speech

语气: formal

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

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

起源与历史

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

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal