约定俗成 (yuē dìng sú chéng)

Character breakdown

• 约 (yāo) · 6 strokes

  Simplified form of 約. Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 勺 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind". The meaning later shifted to "agreement", "restrain", "keep un…

• 定 (dìng) · 8 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 正 represents the sound.

• 俗 (sú) · 9 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 谷 represents the sound.

• 成 (Chéng) · 6 strokes

  Depicts defending city walls (丁) with an axe (戌). 丁 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "city", now written as 城. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Usage

这个手势在我们公司已经约定俗成了，大家都懂它的意思。

This gesture has become established by convention in our company; everyone knows what it means.

Zhè gè shǒu shì zài wǒ men gōng sī yǐ jīng yuē dìng sú chéng le, dà jiā dōu dǒng tā de yì si.