DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

依然如故

Mandarin · pinyin yī rán rú gù

(idiom) back to where we were; absolutely no improvement; things haven't changed at all

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

依: yī · rely on, be set in; consent, obey a wish
然: rán · yes, certainly; pledge, promise
如: rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
故: gù · ancient, old; reason, because

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–2–2–4 · yi1 ran2 ru2 gu4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

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.

依然如故 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ji1 jin4 jyu4 gu3

Cantonese word readings for 依然如故. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) to remain as before; to remain the same

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

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