How to Write 规 (guī) — Meaning “Rule; regulation; compasses”

Imagine a husband (夫) using a compass to draw a perfect circle while his wife watches (见) to make sure he follows the rules. This visual — a man with a compass under the watchful eye of his wife — reminds you that 规 means 'compasses' and 'rule'.

Keep the left part 夫 and the right part 见 balanced in width — neither should be too narrow or too wide. The stroke order for the left side is: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, then left-falling, right-falling; for the right side 见: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, vertical hook. A common mistake is making the right-falling stroke of 夫 cross into the 见 part.

The left part differs: 规 has 夫 (husband), 观 has 又 (again/hand), and 觅 has 爪 (claw) on top of 见. In meaning, 观 means 'to look at or view', 觅 means 'to seek or look for', while 规 means 'rule' or 'compasses'. Visually, 规's left side looks like a cross, 观's left is like a hand, and 觅's top is like a reaching hand.

规 appears in common words like 规定 (guī dìng, regulation), 规则 (guī zé, rule), and 规划 (guī huà, to plan). It is used in formal contexts such as government policies, school rules, or business planning. Culturally, 规 is linked to the ancient compass tool and the saying '没有规矩，不成方圆' (without compasses and square, no circle or square), highlighting the importance of rules and standards.

Common words containing 规 include: 规定 (guī dìng) — Regulation; provision; to stipulate; 规则 (guī zé) — Rule; regulation; 规划 (guī huà) — To plan; planning; program.