规则
guīzé · HSK 4
rule
📏 规 = compass/standard + 则 = rule; together: rules/regulations
规 (guī) originally meant a compass for drawing circles, extended to standard/norm. 则 (zé) means rule or principle. The compound 规则 names the formal rules that govern conduct, games, or systems.
则 — knife 刂 + shell/money 貝 (simplified to 贝)
则 originally showed a knife (刂) beside a tripod cauldron (鼎), later simplified to 贝. It depicted inscribing laws or rules onto bronze vessels with a knife. From this came the meanings 'rule, standard, regulation,' and by extension the conjunction 'then' indicating a logical consequence.