The word "守规矩" is formed by combining the character 守, meaning "to guard" or "abide by", with 规矩, a compound noun where 规 means "compass" and 矩 means "carpenter's square", together representing tools for measurement that metaphorically denote rules or standards. Thus, the verb 守 acts upon 规矩 to create a phrase literally meaning "abide by the compass and square", which conveys following established rules or behaving properly.