DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

則

简则 · 繁則

Mandarin · pinyin zé

(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then
(bound form) standard; norm
(bound form) principle
(literary) to imitate; to follow
classifier for written items

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則: Look up this written character
则: zé · rule, law, regulation; grades

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2 · ze2

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1character link26same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

則 · find source passages ↗ · 则 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zak1

Cantonese word readings for 則. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

rule; law; regulation
standard; example
to follow an example
Classifier for news, writings, stories, or narratives: item
conjunction used to indicate sequence of events; and; and then
conjunction used to indicate cause and effect; so; thus
conjunction used to indicate contrast; but; on the other hand
conjunction used between two identical or near-identical words to indicate concession; it is ... but it ...
particle used as the copula
particle used after numerals to list reasons

character · Etymology 2

(Cantonese) floor plan or layout (of buildings, especially of apartments or flats) (Classifier: 個／个 c)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack