About
The character "则" originates from its traditional form "則", which is structurally composed of the component for "knife" (刀) alongside the component for "shell" (貝), specifically a cowrie shell used as currency in ancient China. This combination is understood to depict the act of inscribing rules or standards onto bronze vessels using a knife, with the shell component possibly implying the value or official nature of such decrees. Its core meaning thus began as a noun denoting a standard, law, or model. Over time, this concrete sense expanded and grammaticalized, allowing "则" to function primarily as a logical conjunction indicating a sequence or consequence, meaning "then" or "in that case", while still retaining its nominal sense of a rule or criterion in certain compounds. The modern simplified form "则" represents a phonetic and structural reduction, maintaining the "knife" (刂) component but streamlining the "shell" element to "贝".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
努力学习则成绩好。
天气冷则多穿衣服。
他同意则我们可以出发。
遵守交通规则则避免事故。
如果你认为正确则请坚持。
经济发达则人民生活水平提高。
从长远来看投资教育则国家受益。
鉴于目前的情况则我们需要采取紧急措施。