格律

gélǜ

noun #49,932

Meanings

1 rules of classical prosody
2 metrical and tonal patterns of classical Chinese poetry

Characters

Examples

写古诗要懂格律。

Xiě gǔshī yào dǒng gélǜ.

To write classical poetry you have to understand prosody.

这首诗格律严谨，对仗工整。

Zhè shǒu shī gélǜ yánjǐn, duìzhàng gōngzhěng.

This poem follows strict prosody and has perfectly matched couplets.

他研究唐诗格律多年。

Tā yánjiū Tángshī gélǜ duō nián.

He has studied the prosody of Tang poetry for years.

Tips

history

格律 governs 近体诗 (regulated verse) crystallized in the Tang dynasty: fixed line count (4 or 8), character count per line (5 or 7), tonal patterns of 平/仄, strict rhyme, and parallel couplets in 律诗. 古体诗 (ancient-style verse) is by contrast largely free.

usage

Compare 格律诗 (regulated verse) with 自由诗 (free verse) — modern poets often abandon 格律 entirely.

Stroke Order

格 gé

律 lǜ