DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

蹈常襲故

简蹈常袭故 · 繁蹈常襲故

Mandarin · pinyin dǎo cháng xí gù

follow the same old path (idiom); stuck in a rut
always the same routine

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

蹈: dǎo · stamp feet; dance
常: cháng · common, normal, frequent, regular
襲: Look up this written character
故: gù · ancient, old; reason, because
袭: xí · raid, attack; inherit

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

3–2–2–4 · dao3 chang2 xi2 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.

蹈常襲故 · find source passages ↗ · 蹈常袭故 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) to follow old rules or traditions and not be flexible

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

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