zé yǐdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(literary) used in expressions of the form 不[bù] + (verb) + 則已|则已[zé yǐ] ... "either don't (verb) at all, or if you do, ..."
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-41bb228051bb4942. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

則已 则已 [ze2 yi3] /(literary) used in expressions of the form 不[bu4] + (verb) + 則已|则已[ze2 yi3] ... "either don't (verb) at all, or if you do, ..."/

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Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 則已

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.