墨守成规

墨守成規

mòshǒuchéngguī

idiom #28,138

Meanings

1 to stick rigidly to rules
2 to be hidebound by convention
3 to follow outdated practices without questioning

Characters

ink; Mozi; dark

to guard; to defend; to keep

established; completed; formed

rule; regulation; convention

Examples

创新需要突破墨守成规的思维方式。

Chuàngxīn xūyào tūpò mòshǒu chéngguī de sīwéi fāngshì.

Innovation requires breaking free from hidebound thinking.

他总是墨守成规，从不愿意尝试新方法。

Tā zǒng shì mòshǒu chéngguī, cóng bù yuànyì cháng shì xīn fāngfǎ.

He always sticks rigidly to rules and never wants to try new methods.

Tips

history

墨 refers to Mozi (墨子), the founder of Mohism, who was known for his strict adherence to defensive tactics (守城, defending a city). 守成规 = to hold onto established rules. Combined: stubbornly defending old conventions.

memory

Imagine someone clutching an ink brush (墨), standing guard (守) over a dusty old rulebook (成规) and refusing to let anyone change it.

Stroke Order

墨 mò

守 shǒu

成 chéng

规 guī