规则 (guī zé) means 'rule' or 'regulation'—a formal or established principle that governs behavior, procedures, or operations. The character 规 (guī) originally referred to a compass used for drawing circles and came to symbolize standards, models, or norms; 则 (zé) means 'principle', 'clause', or 'law', often appearing in classical texts to denote a binding guideline. Together, 规则 emphasizes codified, widely accepted standards—not just personal preferences but shared expectations in institutions, games, workplaces, or public life.

This word is commonly used in contexts like school policies, sports regulations, traffic laws, or company guidelines. It carries a neutral-to-formal tone and implies enforceability or accountability. While similar to 办法 (bàn fǎ, 'method') or 建议 (jiàn yì, 'suggestion'), 规则 specifically denotes mandatory or authoritative directives. It’s rarely used for informal or temporary arrangements—those would be more likely described as 习惯 (xí guàn, 'habit') or 协议 (xié yì, 'agreement').