规 meaning and stroke order
Rules, regulations, customs, law
How to write 规, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 规
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- compass
- a rule
- regulation
- to admonish
- to plan
- to scheme
How 规 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Observe.
见 gives the meaning and 夫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 见 (to see), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 规
规 (guī) puts 夫 (fū, a grown man) next to 见 (jiàn, to see). Picture a grown man who has seen enough of the world to know the rules, and 夫 also hints at the sound.
规 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It shows up in words about rules, scale and planning, such as 规定 (guīdìng), 规则 (guīzé), 规模 (guīmó) and 规划 (guīhuà). Example: 学校有新的规定。(Xuéxiào yǒu xīn de guīdìng.) The school has new regulations.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 失 or 天 instead of 夫. The top stroke of 夫 sticks out above the crossbar, and nothing is added to the top. Some also read 规 as guì with a fourth tone, but it is first tone, guī.
Common words with 规
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 规定 | guīdìng | to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; r | HSK 3 |
| 规范 | guīfàn | norm; standard | HSK 3 |
| 规则 | guīzé | rule; regulation; regular; orderly; fixed | HSK 4 |
| 大规模 | dà guīmó | large scale; extensive | HSK 4 |
| 规模 | guīmó | scale; scope; extent | HSK 4 |
| 规律 | guīlǜ | rule (e.g. of science); law of behavior | HSK 4 |
| 规划 | guīhuà | to draw up a plan; to map out a program; a plan; a program | HSK 5 |
| 正规 | zhèngguī | regular; according to standards | HSK 5 |
| 法规 | fǎguī | legislation; statute | HSK 5 |
| 违规 | wéiguī | to violate the rules | HSK 5 |
| 犯规 | fànguī | to break the rules; an illegality | HSK 6 |
| 常规 | chángguī | code of conduct; conventions; common practice; routine (medical procedure etc) | HSK 6 |
| 规矩 | guīju | lit. compass and set square; fig. established standard | HSK 7-9 |
| 规格 | guīgé | standard; norm | HSK 7-9 |
规 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 规
Learning 规 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 规
How many strokes are in 规?
规 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 规 mean?
规 (guī) means rules, regulations, customs, law. A common word with it is 规定 (guīdìng), meaning "to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; r".
How do you pronounce 规?
规 is pronounced guī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 规?
The radical of 规 is 见, which carries the idea of "to see". Dictionaries list 规 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 规?
The traditional form of 规 is 槼 and 規. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 规 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 规 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 规 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 规则 and 规定?
规则 (guīzé) means rules in general, like the rules of a game or traffic rules. 规定 (guìdìng) is often an official regulation set by an organization, and it can also be a verb meaning to stipulate.
Why does 规 also mean compass?
The dictionary lists compass, the drawing tool for circles, as one sense. You can see it in the set phrase 规矩 (guīju), originally compass and carpenter's square, which now means rules or good manners.