条条框框 / 條條框框

tiáo​tiáo​kuàng​kuàng

red tape

regulations and restrictions; conventions or fixed frameworks that act as limitations or taboos, usually referring to outdated or rigid rules

tiáo​tiao​kuàng​kuang, tiáo​tiáo​kuāng​kuāng

条条 (reduplication) → 条/條 · tiáo · item 框框 (reduplication) → 框 · kuàng · framework

Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

created sense May 20, 2026, 07:57 PM