📖 Meaning
Literally meaning to break a square into a circle. It is a metaphor for reforming harsh and rigid laws into simpler, more lenient ones. The idiom describes the act of replacing strict governance with a more humane and relaxed approach.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Biography of Du Lin' in the Book of Later Han (《后汉书·杜林传》). Du Lin was a scholar-official of the Eastern Han dynasty who advised on governance. The passage describes how the founding of the Han dynasty involved careful reflection on past successes and failures, leading the rulers to abandon harsh Qin-era laws and adopt simpler, more humane policies. The phrase 'break the square to make it round, hew the carved to make it plain' symbolizes replacing severe regulations with lenient and simple governance.
💡 Example Usage
新朝建立后，统治者破矩为圆，废除苛政，百姓得以休养生息。
After the new dynasty was established, the rulers broke the square to make it round — abolishing harsh laws so the people could rest and recover.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 破矩为圆
- Pinyin: pò jǔ wéi yuán
- Literal Translation: break, square, into, round
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4