每天成语
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约定俗成

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: yuē dìng sú chéng
  • English Translation: Established by usage (Conventional)
  • Idiom Composition: 「约」（To agree or arrange）＋「定」（To fix or determine）＋「俗」（Custom or common practice）＋「成」（To form or become）
  • Meaning: The process by which names of things or social rules are naturally established and widely accepted through long-term practice and common usage, rather than by formal laws or decrees.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「约定俗成」 contains the following nuances:

  • Bottom-up Consensus: This idiom emphasizes that the standard was not 'decided' by an authority, but rather 'became' the standard because everyone naturally adopted it.
  • Application to Language and Manners: It is most frequently used to explain the origins of linguistic meanings, pronunciations, or social manners that lack a formal legislative basis.

3. Usage

「约定俗成」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Linguistics and Terminology: Used to explain why a word has a certain meaning or pronunciation based on habit rather than logical rules.
    • Example:「虽然这个词的语法结构有点奇怪，但已经约定俗成，大家都能听懂。」
      （Although the grammatical structure of this word is a bit strange, it is already established by usage, so everyone can understand it.）
  • Social Rules and Etiquette: Refers to unwritten rules or customs that people follow as a matter of social common sense.
    • Example:「过年给孩子发红包，是中国人约定俗成的规矩。」
      （Giving red envelopes to children during the Lunar New Year is an established custom for Chinese people.）
  • Implicit Group Agreements: Describes habits that have naturally become fixed routines within a specific community or organization.
    • Example:「每周五晚上聚餐，已经成了我们公司约定俗成的活动。」
      （Having a group dinner every Friday night has already become a tacitly accepted activity in our company.）

Additional Examples:

  1. 很多地名都是约定俗成的，很难考证最初的来源。
    （Many place names are established by common usage, making it difficult to trace their original sources.）
  2. 语言是约定俗成的符号系统，随着时代的发展而变化。
    （Language is a symbolic system established by social convention, and it changes with the development of the times.）
  3. 虽然没有明文规定，但在公共场合保持安静是约定俗成的礼仪。
    （Although there are no written regulations, keeping quiet in public places is an established social etiquette.）
  4. 这种叫法虽然不科学，但在行业内已经约定俗成了。
    （Although this name is not scientific, it has already become the conventional term within the industry.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom comes from the work Rectifying Names (正名 - Zhèngmíng) by the Warring States period philosopher Xunzi (荀子). He wrote: 'Names have no intrinsic appropriateness; they are named by agreement, and when the agreement is established and the custom is formed, they are called appropriate.'
  • Philosophical Background: Xunzi (荀子) argued that names for things are not inherently 'correct' by nature, but become correct through social agreement and habit. This is a sophisticated insight that mirrors the modern linguistic concept of the 'arbitrariness of the sign' proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure.
  • Modern Usage: While it can be used in academic discussions about linguistics or sociology, it is also commonly used to describe 'unwritten rules' in daily life, though it retains a slightly formal tone.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

约定俗成 (yuē dìng sú chéng) describes how language and social norms become 'standard' simply because everyone uses them that way. Originating from the philosophy of Xunzi (荀子), it is often used in linguistic contexts or to explain unwritten social rules. It represents a 'de facto standard'—something that isn't a formal law but is universally recognized as the norm through habit.

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