规则 meaning in English

As a noun, 规则 means rules of a game, a system, or an organization, often with verbs like 遵守 (zūnshǒu, obey) or 违反 (wéifǎn, break). As an adjective it means regular or orderly, usually about shapes or patterns, and often in the negative 不规则 (bù guīzé, irregular). Example: 我们要遵守交通规则。(Wǒmen yào zūnshǒu jiāotōng guīzé.) We must obey traffic rules.

规 (guī) shows a 夫 (man) next to 见 (to see), like someone looking carefully to keep things in line, and 则 (zé) is the 则 you also see in 原则 (yuánzé, principle). Put together, 规则 (guīzé) is the standard you check yourself against: a rule.

Common mistake: Learners often mix up 规则 and 规定 (guīdìng). 规则 is the set of rules itself, while 规定 is often a specific official regulation or the verb "to stipulate," so say 学校规定… (the school stipulates…), not 学校规则… as a verb. Also keep 则 (zé) in the second tone and do not confuse it with 侧 (cè) or 测 (cè).