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陳陳相因

简陈陈相因 · 繁陳陳相因

Mandarin · pinyin chén chén xiāng yīn

(idiom) to slavishly follow old patterns; to stick to outdated conventions

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Characters in this entry

陳: Look up this written character
相: xiāng · mutual, reciprocal, each other
因: yīn · cause, reason; by; because (of)
陈: chén · exhibit, display; plead; a surname

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

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Mandarin tones

2–2–1–1 · chen2 chen2 xiang1 yin1

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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.

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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

(figurative) to become stagnant or obsolete due to rigid adherence to tradition; to be devoid of any innovation

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

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