則

Stroke order

則 (Kangxi radical 18, 刀+7, 9 strokes, cangjie input 月金中弓 (BCLN), four-corner 6280₀, composition ⿰貝刂)

• 側, 𠗧, 𠷌, 𡍫, 𡺢, 惻, 𢯩, 測, 𣉇, 𣖡, 𥠉, 𧍡, 鍘, 鰂, 䶡, 厠, 𰁊, 崱, 廁, 萴, 䈟, 𢝔

• 则 (Simplified Chinese)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 139, character 31
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1994
• Dae Jaweon: page 317, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 340, character 6
• Unihan data for U+5247

Historical forms of the character 則
Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)			Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Shizhoupian script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : 鼎 (“ding, a bronze cauldron for cooking or sacrificial rituals”) + 刂 (“knife”); hence, the original version is 𠟭. Perhaps it's a reference to carving something (e.g., characters) with a knife on a bronze. Its original meaning was "rule; law".

鼎 was simplified to the unrelated 貝 in the small seal script. Compare 貞 (OC *teŋ, “to divine; righteous; firm”) (< 鼑), which underwent the same stylization.

則

1. rule; law; regulation
2. standard; example
3. to follow an example
4. Classifier for news, writings, stories, or narratives: item

   一則寓言／一则寓言  ―  yī zé yùyán  ―  a fable

5. conjunction used to indicate sequence of events; and
6. conjunction used to indicate cause and effect; so; thus
7. conjunction used to indicate contrast; but; on the other hand
8. conjunction used between two identical or near-identical words to indicate concession; it is ... but it ...

   • 美則美矣，抑臣亦有懼也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     美则美矣，抑臣亦有惧也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Guoyu, circa 4^th century BCE

     Měi zé měi yǐ, yì chén yì yǒu jù yě.

     Beautiful as it may be, there is still something that I fear.

   • 治則治矣，非書意也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     治则治矣，非书意也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

     Zhì zé zhì yǐ, fēi shū yì yě.

     Well-governed as it was, it had never been the letter's intended effect.

   • 馬則吾馬，齒亦老矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     马则吾马，齿亦老矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Mǎ zé wú mǎ, chǐ yì lǎo yǐ.

     Although the horses are indeed the same horses of mine, some ageing still shows on the teeth.

9. particle used as the copula
10. particle used after numerals to list reasons

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “from English cheque?”)

則

1. (Cantonese) floor plan or layout (of buildings, especially of apartments or flats) (Classifier: 個／个 c)

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. rule, law
2. measure, norm
3. to follow, to conform

• Go-on: そく (soku, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: そく (soku, Jōyō)
• Kun: のり (nori)、のっとる (nottoru, 則る)、すなわち (sunawachi, 則ち)

From Middle Chinese 則 (MC tsok, “rule”).

• (Tokyo) そく (Atamadaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

則(そく) • (-soku) 

1. counter for rules

則(そく) • (soku) 

1. rule, law

From Middle Chinese.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

則

Wikisource

則 (eumhun 법칙(法則) 칙 (beopchik chik))

1. hanja form^? of 칙 (“rule; law; regulation”)

From Middle Chinese.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

則 (eumhun 곧 즉 (got jeuk))

1. (literary Chinese) hanja form^? of 즉 (“particle in literary Chinese texts”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

則: Hán Việt readings: tắc^{[1][2][3][4][5]}, trắc^[1]
則: Nôm readings: tắc^{[1][2][3][4][6]}, tấc^[1][2], trắc^[1]

1. chữ Hán form of tắc (“law; regulation”).