# 移风易俗

yí fēng yì sú

Reform established customs and habits

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Shift prevailing ways and change customs

**Traditional Chinese:** 移風易俗

**Register:** Positive · formal

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Describe deliberate improvement of social practices.

Changing customs should consider community needs and consent.

## Understanding the expression

The expression treats customs as patterns that can be redirected rather than fixed forever. It often describes efforts to reduce wasteful ceremonies, harmful habits, or unfair social expectations. The change usually concerns a community rather than one private preference. What counts as improvement should be explained, since reform can become coercive if it ignores the people affected. A useful sentence names the harmful practice and the benefit of replacing it with something more reasonable.

## Examples

社区提倡简办婚礼，推动移风易俗。

### Traditional Chinese

社區提倡簡辦婚禮，推動移風易俗。

shè qū tí chàng jiǎn bàn hūn lǐ ， tuī dòng yí fēng yì sú 。

The community encourages simpler weddings to reform customs.

减少攀比需要移风易俗。

### Traditional Chinese

減少攀比需要移風易俗。

jiǎn shǎo pān bǐ xū yào yí fēng yì sú 。

Reducing status competition requires changing social habits.

学校通过讨论推动移风易俗。

### Traditional Chinese

學校通過討論推動移風易俗。

xué xiào tōng guò tǎo lùn tuī dòng yí fēng yì sú 。

The school promotes changing customs through discussion.

移风易俗也应尊重居民意见。

### Traditional Chinese

移風易俗也應尊重居民意見。

yí fēng yì sú yě yìng zūn zhòng jū mín yì jiàn 。

Custom reform should respect residents' views.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E7%A7%BB%E9%A2%A8%E6%98%93%E4%BF%97)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=632&webMd=1&la=0)

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