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约法三章

約法三章
yuēfǎsānzhāng
idiom #36,090

Meanings

  1. 1 to agree on three basic rules
  2. 2 to lay down a short, clear set of ground rules

Examples

搬进来之前，我们先约法三章。
Bān jìnlai zhīqián, wǒmen xiān yuēfǎsānzhāng.
Before moving in, let's lay down a few ground rules.
父母和孩子约法三章，每天只能玩一个小时的游戏。
Fùmǔ hé háizi yuēfǎsānzhāng, měitiān zhǐ néng wán yí ge xiǎoshí de yóuxì.
The parents and child set ground rules — only one hour of video games per day.
新室友搬来那天，我和他约法三章。
Xīn shìyǒu bān lái nà tiān, wǒ hé tā yuēfǎsānzhāng.
On the day the new roommate moved in, he and I agreed on some ground rules.

Tips

history
From 《史记·高祖本纪》 (Han dynasty). In 206 BCE, when Liu Bang (the future Han founder) entered the Qin capital Xianyang, he summoned the elders and announced: 与父老约，法三章耳；杀人者死，伤人及盗抵罪 — 'I make this covenant with you: just three laws — murderers die, those who injure or steal are punished accordingly.' It replaced the brutal Qin code and won him the populace.
usage
Modern use is domesticated: any pair or group laying out a short list of basic rules — roommates, parents and children, joint-venture partners. The 'three' is conventional, not literal; you can have more or fewer items.

Stroke Order

约 yuē
法 fǎ
三 sān
章 zhāng