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故步自封

Mandarin · pinyin gù bù zì fēng

stuck in the old ways (idiom); refusing to acknowledge new ideas
stagnating and conservative

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Characters in this entry

故: gù · ancient, old; reason, because
步: bù · step, pace; walk, stroll
自: zì · self, private, personal; from; Kangxi radical 132
封: fēng · letter, envelope; feudal

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Mandarin tones

4–4–4–1 · gu4 bu4 zi4 feng1

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gu3 bou6 zi6 fung1

Cantonese word readings for 故步自封. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be stuck in the old ways, without the desire to improve oneself

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

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