則 meaning and stroke order
Rule, law, regulation; grades
How to write 則, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 9
Meaning of 則
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (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
How 則 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Laws inscribed 刂 on a slate 貝.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 則
則 combines 貝 (a slate or valuable object) and 刂 (a knife). Picture laws being carved with a knife onto a slate so everyone can follow the same rule.
則 (zé) is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It appears mostly in compound words like 規則 (guīzé, rule) and 原則 (yuánzé, principle), and in formal writing as a conjunction meaning "then" or "but." Example: 快點，否則會遲到。(Kuài diǎn, fǒuzé huì chídào.) Hurry up, otherwise you will be late.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 則 (zé) with 側 (cè, side) and 測 (cè, to measure), which add 亻 or 氵 on the left and are read with a different sound. Also remember the tone is second tone, zé, not zè.
Common words with 則
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 否則 | fǒuzé | otherwise; if not; or (else) | HSK 4 |
| 規則 | guīzé | rule; regulation; regular; orderly; fixed | HSK 4 |
| 原則 | yuánzé | principle; doctrine | HSK 4 |
| 準則 | zhǔnzé | norm; standard | HSK 7-9 |
| 以身作則 | yǐshēn-zuòzé | to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model | HSK 7-9 |
| 法則 | fǎzé | law; rule | |
| 守則 | shǒuzé | rules; regulations | |
| 一則 | yīzé | on the one hand | |
| 原則上 | yuánzéshang | in principle; generally |
Characters that contain 則
Learning 則 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 則
How many strokes are in 則?
則 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 則 mean?
則 (zé) means rule, law, regulation; grades. A common word with it is 否则 (fǒuzé), meaning "otherwise; if not; or (else)".
How do you pronounce 則?
則 is pronounced zé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 則?
The radical of 則 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 則 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 則?
則 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 则, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How is 則 used as a measure word?
則 counts short written items such as news reports, notices, or stories. For example, 一則新聞 (yì zé xīnwén) means "a news item" and 一則廣告 (yì zé guǎnggào) means "an advertisement."
What is the difference between 則 and 就 when both mean "then"?
就 (jiù) is the everyday spoken word for "then." 則 (zé) has a similar meaning but sounds literary and formal, so it appears mainly in writing, in set phrases, or when contrasting two clauses.