矩 (jǔ): carpenter's square, rule, regulation
矩 (jǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “carpenter's square.” Classified as HSK Level 6 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 矢 (semantic) and 巨 (phonetic). It ranks #2112 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 矩 arrow. Its radical form 矢 (arrow) appears in many related characters such as 短 (duǎn, short), 矮 (ǎi, (of a person) short), 矢 (shǐ, arrow).
Definitions
- carpenter's square
- rule
- regulation
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 矩 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 矩
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 循规蹈矩phrase | xún guī dǎo jǔ | to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom) |
| 矩阵noun | jǔ zhèn | (math.) matrix |
| 矩形noun | jǔ xíng | rectangle |
| 力矩noun | lì jǔ | torque |
| 不以规矩，不能成方圆 | bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán | without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius) |
| 没有规矩，何以成方圆 | méi yǒu guī ju , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán | without rules, how can anything be done (idiom) |
| 中规中矩phrase | zhòng guī zhòng jǔ | conforming with the norms of society |
| 没有规矩，不成方圆 | méi yǒu guī ju , bù chéng fāng yuán | without rules, nothing can be done (idiom) |
| 中心矩 | zhōng xīn jǔ | (statistics) central moment |
| 规行矩步 | guī xíng jǔ bù | to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom) |
| 原点矩 | yuán diǎn jǔ | (statistics) moment |
| 变矩器 | biàn jǔ qì | (automobile) torque converter |
| 守规矩 | shǒu guī ju | to behave oneself |
| 偏心矩 | piān xīn jǔ | axis of eccentricity |
| 伴随矩阵 | bàn suí jǔ zhèn | (math.) adjugate matrix |
矩 appears in 25 compound words: 16 as the first character, 44 as the last, and 40 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 矩 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (5)
compasses, set square and straight line marker (idiom); fig. established standard; norms; criteria
compasses, set square, spirit level and plumbline (idiom); fig. established standard; norms; criteria
Showing 4 of 5 idioms containing 矩.
Example Sentences
写好矩字需要掌握正确的笔画顺序。
xiě hǎo jǔ zì xū yāo zhǎng wò zhēng què de bǐ huà shùn xù .
To write the character "矩" correctly, one must master the proper stroke order.
车尾设计趋于简洁，纵向圆角矩形尾灯组与外挂式备胎的组合。
chē wěi shè jì qū yú jiǎn jié , zòng xiàng yuán jiǎo jǔ xíng wěi dēng zǔ yǔ wài guà shì bèi tāi de zǔ gě .
The rear design is minimalist, featuring a combination of vertically oriented, rounded-corner rectangular taillights and a mounted spare tire.
科技1分钟:400Nm高扭矩关节成人形机器人关键
kē jì 1 fēn zhōng : 4 0 0 N m gāo niǔ jǔ guān jié chéng rén xíng jī qì rén guān jiàn
Tech in a Minute: Key to a 400 Nm High-Torque Articulated Humanoid Robot
...动30周年纪念企划,2026年推多维内容矩阵
. . . dòng 3 0 zhōu nián jì niàn qǐ huá , 2 0 2 6 nián tuī duō wéi nèi róng jǔ zhèn
...30th Anniversary Project, Launching a Multi-dimensional Content Matrix in 2026
...5T 手机搭载 360° 环绕高性能天线矩阵、电竞网络芯片 G2,号称“信号无死角...
. . . 5 T shǒu jī dā zài 3 6 0 huán rào gāo xìng néng tiān xiàn jǔ zhèn , diàn jìng wǎng lào xīn piàn G 2 , hào chèn xìn hào wú sǐ jiǎo . . .
...The 5T smartphone features a 360° high-performance antenna array and the G2 gaming network chip, boasting "signal coverage with no dead zones"...
云南:发挥博物馆阵地作用 多维矩阵开展铸牢中华民族共同体意识宣传教育
yún nán : fā huī bó wù guǎn zhèn dì zuò yòng duō wéi jǔ zhèn kāi zhǎn zhù láo zhōng huá mín zú gòng tóng tǐ yì shí xuān chuán jiào yù
Yunnan: Give full play to the role of museums and carry out publicity and education on the awareness of the Chinese national community in a multi-dimensional matrix
根据习俗，新娘应该循规蹈矩。
Gēnjù xísú, xīnniáng yīnggāi xúnguīdǎojǔ.
According to custom, the bride should be compliant.
我希望吉姆会守规矩。
Wǒ xīwàng jí mǔ huì shǒuguīju.
I wish Jim would behave himself.
你行为应该规矩些。
Nǐ xíngwéi yīnggāi guīju xiē.
You should try to behave better.
非方矩阵的逆阵是一个危险的东西。
Fēi fāng jǔzhèn de nì zhèn shì yī gè wēixiǎn de dōngxi.
The inverse of a non-square matrix is a dangerous thing.
Character Family
矢 Radical Family — Characters sharing the arrow radical
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 矩 (jǔ) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 矩 and 柜?
How many strokes does 矩 have?
What is the radical of 矩?
What are the components of 矩?
What are common words containing 矩?
What characters sound the same as 矩 (jǔ)?
Is 矩 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 矩 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.