DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
不以規矩，不能成方圓
简 不以规矩，不能成方圆 · 繁 不以規矩，不能成方圓Mandarin · pinyin bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán
Meanings
- without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules
Characters in this entry
- 不
- bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
- 以
- yǐ · by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
- 規
- Look up this written character
- 矩
- jǔ · carpenter's square, ruler, rule
- 能
- néng · to be able; can, permitted to; ability
- 成
- chéng · completed, finished, fixed
- 方
- fāng · a square, rectangle; a region; local
- 圓
- yuán · circle; round, circular; complete
- 规
- guī · rules, regulations, customs, law
- 圆
- yuán · circle; round, circular; complete
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading
bat1 ji5 kwai1 geoi2 ，bat1 nang4 sing4 fong1 jyun4
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.