HSK · Level 103
45 words
Chinese word
约定俗成
Pronunciation
Pinyinyuē dìng sú chéng
Meaning
- idiombecome customary
Example
这样的说法已经约定俗成，很难改变。zhè yàng de shuō fǎ yǐ jīng yuē dìng sú chéng hěn nán gǎi biàn
This way of saying it has become customary and is hard to change.
More examples
行业内普遍采用的术语往往是逐步约定俗成的。háng yè nèi pǔ biàn cǎi yòng de shù yǔ wáng wǎng shì zhú bù yuē dìng sú chéng de
A term widely used in an industry often gradually becomes customary.
Core concept
A shared convention takes shape as people follow and accept it over time, without a formal authority imposing it.
Common phrases
逐步约定俗成zhú bù yuē dìng sú chéng
gradually become customary
约定俗成的观念yuē dìng sú chéng de guān niàn
conventional idea
约定俗成的称谓yuē dìng sú chéng de chēng wèi
conventional term
Similar words
不成文bù chéng wén: Not written down but observed in practice as a generally accepted rule.
惯例guàn lì: An established way of doing things that is usual and accepted in a particular situation.
Definition in Chinese
表示某种做法或说法并非由法律或正式规定强制，而是因长期沿用或人们共同认可而成为常态的惯例。biǎo shì móu zhǒng zuò fǎ huò shuō fǎ bìng fēi yóu fǎ lǜ huò zhèng shì guī dìng qiáng zhì ér shì yīn cháng qī yán yòng huò rén men gòng tóng rèn kě ér chéng wéi cháng tài de guàn lì
Word origin
The idiom joins 约定 (yuēdìng, "agree upon") with 俗成 (súchéng, "become established through custom"), linking collective acceptance with the growth of an informal norm.
Usage tips
- For everyday speech, it marks the difference between what people normally say and what an institution officially prescribes.
Opposites
- 标新立异biāo xīn lì yìseek novelty and uniquenessidiom
- 革故鼎新gé gù dǐng xīnreplace the old with the newidiom