入乡随俗
入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) literally means “enter village follow customs” and expresses “adopt the customs of where you are”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: ru xiang sui su, ru xiang sui su,入乡随俗 meaning, 入乡随俗 in english
Adopt the customs of where you are
Pronunciation: rù xiāng suí sú Literal meaning: Enter village follow customs
Origin & Usage
Enter (入) the district (乡), follow (随) its customs (俗). The older formulation, about entering a place and going by its rules, is in the Zhuangzi, and the four-character version is fixed in Chan collections. It is worth noticing what it does not say: nothing about approving of the customs, only about following them. That keeps it practical rather than moral, and it serves travellers, new employees, and anybody objecting that things are done differently here.
Examples
English: "She adapted to local customs when working abroad"
Chinese: 她在国外工作时入乡随俗
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 入乡随俗 mean in English?
入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) literally translates to “Enter village follow customs” and is used to express “Adopt the customs of where you are”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 入乡随俗 used?
Situation: She adapted to local customs when working abroad
What is the pinyin for 入乡随俗?
The pinyin pronunciation for 入乡随俗 is “rù xiāng suí sú”.
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