每天成语
background texture
< 以弱胜强一言为定 >

入乡随俗

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: rù xiāng suí sú
  • English Translation: When in Rome, do as the Romans do (adapt to local customs)
  • Idiom Composition: 「入」（to enter; to arrive in）＋「乡」（village; region; native place）＋「随」（to follow; to conform to; to adapt）＋「俗」（customs; conventions; folkways）
  • Meaning: When entering a new place, culture, or community, one should conform to local customs and conventions rather than clinging stubbornly to one's own habits. It carries a positive connotation of cultural respect, openness, and adaptability.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「入乡随俗」 contains the following nuances:

  • Respecting Diverse Cultures and Conventions: Highlights an open-minded, humble posture that embraces another culture's way of living rather than imposing one's own assumptions.
  • Flexibility in New Environments: Extends beyond geographic relocation to navigating the implicit rules and working styles of new social circles, projects, or offices.
  • Social Wisdom for Building Harmony: Serves as an essential social lubricant to prevent cultural friction, show goodwill, and establish strong interpersonal connections quickly.

3. Usage

「入乡随俗」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • International Travel and Cross-Cultural Experiences: Commonly used when encouraging travelers or expats to embrace unfamiliar local habits, dining etiquette, or lifestyle norms.
    • Example:「去国外旅游时，我们应该入乡随俗，尊重当地的生活习惯。」
      （When traveling abroad, we should do as the Romans do and respect the local way of life.)
  • Adapting to New Organizations or Workplaces: Used when adjusting to the operational culture, team dynamics, or unwritten rules of a new school, company, or community.
    • Example:「既然换了新的工作环境，就得入乡随俗，适应团队的工作节奏。」
      （Now that you have switched to a new work environment, you must adapt to local practices and match the team's working rhythm.)
  • Polite Suggestions and Encouragement: Employed as a friendly reassurance to put newcomers or guests at ease when encountering unfamiliar traditions.
    • Example:「既然大家都这么做，我们不妨也入乡随俗吧。」
      （Since everyone is doing it this way, we might as well follow the local custom too.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 他在中国工作多年，早已入乡随俗，习惯了用筷子吃饭。
    （Having worked in China for many years, he has long since adapted to local ways and grown accustomed to eating with chopsticks.）
  2. 参加少数民族的节日活动时，入乡随俗是最基本的礼貌。
    （When participating in ethnic minority festival celebrations, conforming to local traditions is basic courtesy.）
  3. 到了北方朋友家做客，我也入乡随俗，跟着他们一起包饺子。
    （While visiting a friend's home in northern China, I did as the locals do and made dumplings together with them.）
  4. 无论走到哪里，善于入乡随俗的人总是更容易交到朋友。
    （No matter where they go, people who are good at adapting to local customs always find it easier to make friends.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Historical Roots: The idea originates in ancient philosophical literature, notably the Mountain Tree chapter of Zhuangzi (庄子), which remarks: 'entering their customs and obeying their commands' (入其俗，从其令). The standardized four-character form solidified in Song Dynasty Chan Buddhist records like Compendium of the Five Lamps (五灯会元).
  • Modern Connotation: Unlike passive submission, modern usage portrays 入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) as a highly positive trait, praising a person's emotional intelligence, open-mindedness, and cultural sensitivity.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) is the exact Chinese equivalent of the English proverb 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Originating in ancient philosophical texts like Zhuangzi (庄子), it encourages people to adapt smoothly to their surroundings—whether traveling abroad, joining a new workplace, or visiting someone's home—by respecting local etiquette and norms.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

rù xiāng suí sú
入乡随俗
When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do
sì bǎi四百duō nián多年qián前，yǒu有gè个yì dà lì rén意大利人lái dào来到zhōng guó中国nán fāng南方，zuò做le了yī一jiàn件qí guài奇怪de的shì事：tā他tì剃diào掉tóu fà头发hé和hú zi胡子，chuān穿shàng上le了hé shàng和尚de的yī fú衣服。

More than four hundred years ago, an Italian came to southern China and did something strange: he shaved off his hair and beard and put on a monk’s robes.

kě可tā他bìng并bú shì不是hé shàng和尚，ér shì而是tiān zhǔ jiào天主教de的chuán jiào shì传教士，lái来zhōng guó中国shì是wèi le为了chuán bō传播zì jǐ自己de的zōng jiào宗教。

But he was not a monk. He was a Catholic missionary who had come to China to spread his religion.

tā他de的zhōng wén中文míng zì名字jiào叫lì mǎ dòu利玛窦。

His Chinese name was Matteo Ricci.

tā他wèi shén me为什么yào要zhè yàng这样dǎ bàn打扮ne呢？

Why did he dress like that?

yīn wèi因为tā他zhī dào知道，rú guǒ如果chù chù处处dōu都xiàng像gè个wài rén外人，zhōng guó rén中国人hěn很nán难jiē shòu接受tā他。

Because he knew that if he looked like an outsider in every way, it would be difficult for Chinese people to accept him.

hàn yǔ汉语lǐ里yǒu有gè个chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“rù xiāng suí sú入乡随俗”，yì si意思shì是dào到le了yí gè一个dì fāng地方，jiù就àn zhào按照dāng dì当地de的xí guàn习惯shēng huó生活。

In Chinese, there is an idiom, “入乡随俗,” which means that when you go to a place, you live according to the local customs.

lì mǎ dòu利玛窦de的zuò fǎ做法，jiù shì就是rù xiāng suí sú入乡随俗。

What Matteo Ricci did was an example of adapting to local customs.

zài在tā他kàn lái看来，hé shàng和尚shì是zhōng guó中国de的zōng jiào宗教rén shì人士，zì jǐ自己yě也shì是cóng shì从事zōng jiào宗教de的rén人，chuān穿sēng yī僧衣hǎo xiàng好像zài再hé shì合适bù guò不过le了。

In his view, monks were Chinese religious figures, and he was also involved in religious work, so wearing monk’s robes seemed perfectly appropriate.

wèn tí问题shì是，tā他kàn cuò看错le了dāng dì当地de的qíng kuàng情况。

The problem was that he had misunderstood the local situation.

lái来zhōng guó中国shí duō nián十多年yǐ hòu以后，tā他màn màn慢慢fā xiàn发现，zài在dāng shí当时de的shè huì社会shàng上，zhēn zhèng真正shòu受zūn zhòng尊重、yǒu有yǐng xiǎng lì影响力de的shì是dú shū rén读书人，ér而bù shǎo不少dú shū rén读书人bìng并bù不kàn zhòng看重hé shàng和尚。

After living in China for more than ten years, he gradually discovered that, in the society of that time, the people who were truly respected and influential were scholars, and many scholars did not think highly of monks.

chuān zhe穿着sēng yī僧衣，fǎn ér反而hěn很nán难zǒu jìn走进tā men他们de的quān zi圈子。

Wearing monk’s robes actually made it difficult for him to enter their circle.

yú shì于是，tā他chóng xīn重新huàn换le了yí gè一个yàng zi样子：liú留qǐ起tóu fà头发hé和hú zi胡子，chuān穿shàng上dú shū rén读书人de的cháng páo长袍。

So he changed his appearance again: he grew out his hair and beard and put on the long robe worn by scholars.

tā他rèn zhēn认真dú读《lún yǔ论语》《mèng zi孟子》，yòng用zhōng wén中文xiě写wén zhāng文章，cháng cháng常常hé和dú shū rén读书人jiāo péng yǒu交朋友、tán谈xué wèn学问。

He carefully studied the Analects and the Mencius, wrote articles in Chinese, and often made friends with scholars and discussed learning with them.

zhè这yī cì一次，lù路zǒu tōng走通le了。

This time, he succeeded.

hòu lái后来tā他dào到le了běi jīng北京，hái还hé和xué zhě学者xú guāng qǐ徐光启yì qǐ一起，bǎ把yī bù一部xī fāng西方shù xué数学zhù zuò著作fān yì翻译chéng成le了zhōng wén中文，jiù shì就是《jǐ hé yuán běn几何原本》。

Later, when he went to Beijing, he worked with the scholar Xu Guangqi to translate a Western mathematical work into Chinese: The Elements of Geometry.

tā他qù shì去世yǐ hòu以后，huáng dì皇帝tè bié特别pī zhǔn批准，bǎ把tā他zàng葬zài在le了běi jīng北京。

After he died, the emperor gave special permission for him to be buried in Beijing.

yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，tā他gǎi biàn改变le了yī zhuó衣着、yǔ yán语言hé和jiāo péng yǒu交朋友de的fāng shì方式，què却yì zhí一直méi yǒu没有gǎi biàn改变zì jǐ自己de的xìn yǎng信仰。

Interestingly, he changed his clothing, language, and way of making friends, but he never changed his faith.

jīn tiān今天，rén men人们shuō说“rù xiāng suí sú入乡随俗”，chǎng hé场合tōng cháng通常qīng sōng轻松dé得duō多。

Today, people usually use “入乡随俗” in much more relaxed situations.

bǐ rú比如nǐ你dì yī cì第一次qù去sì chuān四川，bù不tài太néng能chī吃là辣，péng yǒu朋友què却gěi给nǐ你jiā夹le了yī dà kuài一大块là là辣辣de的ròu肉，xiào zhe笑着shuō说：“lái dōu lái le来都来了，rù xiāng suí sú入乡随俗ma嘛！”

For example, if you visit Sichuan for the first time and cannot really eat spicy food, but a friend gives you a large piece of spicy meat and says with a smile, “You’re here already, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do!”

zhè这jù句huà话tīng qǐ lái听起来hěn很yǒu hǎo友好，yì si意思shì是，jì rán既然lái来le了，jiù就shì shì试试zhè lǐ这里de的shēng huó fāng shì生活方式。

This sounds friendly. It means that since you have come, you should try the local way of life.

nǐ你yě xǔ也许huì会bèi被là辣dé得zhí直hē喝shuǐ水，bù guò不过，zhì shǎo至少bù yòng不用xiàng像lì mǎ dòu利玛窦nà yàng那样，huā花shí jǐ nián十几年cái才nòng míng bái弄明白gāi该zěn me怎么“suí sú随俗”。

You may end up drinking water nonstop because of the spiciness, but at least you will not have to spend ten years, like Matteo Ricci, figuring out how to “follow the local customs.”

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '入乡随俗'!

0/50