不以规矩,不能成方圆
bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules
乏善可陈
fá shàn kě chén
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1 to be nothing to write home about (idiom)
五味杂陈
wǔ wèi zá chén
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1 with complex feelings (idiom)
墨守成规
mò shǒu chéng guī
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1 hidebound by convention (idiom)
循规蹈矩
xún guī dǎo jǔ
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1 to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom); to follow the rules inflexibly
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2 to act according to convention
推陈布新
tuī chén bù xīn
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1 to push out the old and bring in the new (idiom); to innovate
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2 to go beyond old ideas
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3 advancing all the time
推陈出新
tuī chén chū xīn
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1 to push out the old and bring in the new (idiom); to innovate
新陈代谢
xīn chén dài xiè
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1 metabolism (biology)
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2 the new replaces the old (idiom)
明修栈道,暗渡陈仓
míng xiū zhàn dào , àn dù Chén cāng
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1 lit. repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河[Wèi Hé] at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liú Bāng] in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiàng Yǔ] of Chu)
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2 fig. to feign one thing while doing another
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3 to cheat under cover of a diversion
暗渡陈仓
àn dù Chén cāng
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1 lit. secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河[Wèi Hé] at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liú Bāng] in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiàng Yǔ] of Chu)
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2 fig. to feign one thing while doing another
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3 to cheat under cover of a diversion
没有规矩,不成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , bù chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, nothing can be done (idiom); one must follow some rules
没有规矩,何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, how can anything be done (idiom); one must follow some rules
沥陈鄙见
lì chén bǐ jiàn
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1 to state one's humble opinion (idiom)
萧规曹随
Xiāo guī Cáo suí
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1 lit. Xiao's 蕭何|萧何[Xiāo Hé] governance followed by Cao 曹參|曹参[Cáo Cān] (idiom)
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2 fig. to strictly adhere to the policies of the predecessor
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3 to follow precedent
规矩准绳
guī ju zhǔn shéng
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1 compasses, set square, spirit level and plumbline (idiom); fig. established standard
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2 norms
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3 criteria
规矩绳墨
guī ju shéng mò
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1 compasses, set square and straight line marker (idiom); fig. established standard
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2 norms
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3 criteria
规行矩步
guī xíng jǔ bù
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1 to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom); to follow the rules inflexibly
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2 to act according to convention
陈谷子烂芝麻
chén gǔ zi làn zhī ma
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1 lit. stale grain, overcooked sesame (idiom); fig. the same boring old gossip