# 入乡随俗

rù xiāng suí sú

Adapt to local customs

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Enter a place and follow its customs

**Traditional Chinese:** 入鄉隨俗

**Register:** Practical · conversational

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Use when adjusting behavior to the culture or community you visit.

It advises adaptation; it does not require agreeing with every local practice.

## Behind the words

Traditional advice about entering a community includes asking about its customs. The expression captures the practical wisdom of observing before acting.

The expression links entering a place with following its established practices. It can apply to travel, a new neighborhood, or a community with unfamiliar routines. The point is respectful adaptation rather than erasing one's identity. It does not require accepting harmful behavior or abandoning personal boundaries. A useful application identifies the specific custom instead of making sweeping claims about an entire culture.

## Examples

第一次去朋友家吃饭，入乡随俗，先看看大家怎么做。

### Traditional Chinese

第一次去朋友家吃飯，入鄉隨俗，先看看大家怎麼做。

dì yī cì qù péng yǒu jiā chī fàn ， rù xiāng suí sú ， xiān kàn kàn dà jiā zěn me zuò 。

When dining at a friend’s home for the first time, follow their customs and see what everyone does.

去朋友家做客，先问问当地的用餐习惯，入乡随俗。

### Traditional Chinese

去朋友家做客，先問問當地的用餐習慣，入鄉隨俗。

qù péng yǒu jiā zuò kè ， xiān wèn wèn dāng dì de yòng cān xí guàn ， rù xiāng suí sú 。

When visiting a friend's home, ask about local dining customs and adapt to them.

在这里坐公交车要排队，我们也得入乡随俗。

### Traditional Chinese

在這裡坐公交車要排隊，我們也得入鄉隨俗。

zài zhè lǐ zuò gōng jiāo chē yào pái duì ， wǒ men yě dé rù xiāng suí sú 。

People queue for buses here, so we should follow the local custom too.

他搬到新城市后，慢慢学会了入乡随俗。

### Traditional Chinese

他搬到新城市後，慢慢學會了入鄉隨俗。

tā bān dào xīn chéng shì hòu ， màn màn xué huì le rù xiāng suí sú 。

After moving to a new city, he gradually learned to adapt to local customs.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=12940&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%85%A5%E9%84%89%E9%9A%A8%E4%BF%97)

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