# 因地制宜



## Carrie_Jaye

Hello,

I am curious if there is an English expression equivalent to 因地制宜?

A parent told me a while ago that "現在父母教育小孩的方式還有觀念要改一改, 尤其在國外。要懂得*因地制宜*、見招拆招，有時候真的要這樣..."。Though I am not sure what would be the best way to translate/describe that particular phrase when talking to my English-speaking friends? 

Thank you!


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## ktdd

Hi,
Wouldn't "adapt" be sufficient?


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## Carrie_Jaye

I guess so, but my friends were more interested in the underlying meaning of that particular Chinese Proverb - because I told them that there was this phrase that was hard to translate LOL - and they got curious, and I wasn't doing a very good job in explaining it. I was thinking more along the line of "act upon different circumstances", but wasn't sure if that fully capture the essence of the proverb. This is more difficult than I originally thought~


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## fyl

Am I the only one think it is a misuse (even worse than 裹足不前)?


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## darren8221

fyl said:


> Am I the only one think it is a misuse (even worse than 裹足不前)?



I feel that too. Would 入境隨俗 be a better substitution?


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## Carrie_Jaye

fyl said:


> Am I the only one think it is a misuse (even worse than 裹足不前)?



LOL perhaps, and maybe that's why it was hard for me to explain to my friends? And yet again, when I think about it, it also kinda makes sense given the way this person was describing it (it was just one of those long conversations on odd days). Though I am curious about what you think here, could you be more specific on why you think "因地制宜" is a misuse here? (to be honest, I had not come across "因地制宜" until I talked to that person)...


darren8221 said:


> I feel that too. Would 入境隨俗 be a better substitution?



Ah yes, 入境隨俗 would make more sense eh?! But unfortunately for some reason he used "因地制宜". Now come to think of it, I should've clarify what he really meant when he used that...


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## darren8221

Carrie_Jaye said:


> LOL perhaps, and maybe that's why it was hard for me to explain to my friends? And yet again, when I think about it, it also kinda makes sense given the way this person was describing it (it was just one of those long conversations on odd days). Though I am curious about what you think here, could you be more specific on why you think "因地制宜" is a misuse here? (to be honest, I had not come across "因地制宜" until I talked to that person)...



因地制宜 means that the policy/decision is made by the policymaker based on the local customs. It does not mean that they simply abide by the rules. Based on the context, it seems like these parents need to change their way of thinking, but they can't really set a new law, i.e. they are passive. That's why using 因地制宜 is a bit strange, and why I suggested 入境隨俗.

Perhaps the reason he used that is to describe the parents "change their way of educating their children to the one that the local follows" and it seems to be the action of making a new policy, hence 因地*制*宜. I would say it really depends on how he thinks and how the context would be.


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## retrogradedwithwind

因地制宜见招拆招我都觉得用错了。。。

因地制宜，地指土地，因土地情况不同而选择不同策略。引申开来，可以指根据不同情况而选择适宜策略。显然，当这些“不同情况”越和土地相关时，这词用着越自然恰当。

这里，入乡随俗可以，与时俱进，与时变化我觉得也行。时字比地字所指更广。


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## Carrie_Jaye

darren8221 said:


> 因地制宜 means that the policy/decision is made by the policymaker based on the local customs. It does not mean that they simply abide by the rules. Based on the context, it seems like these parents need to change their way of thinking, but they can't really set a new law, i.e. they are passive. That's why using 因地制宜 is a bit strange, and why I suggested 入境隨俗.
> 
> Perhaps the reason he used that is to describe the parents "change their way of educating their children to the one that the local follows" and it seems to be the action of making a new policy, hence 因地*制*宜. I would say it really depends on how he thinks and how the context would be.



Wow thank you darrent8221! Yes, I was thinking the same when reading the first part of your explanation. Now I think what he meant was, yes, change the way parents educate or parent their children as the locals would - like setting "new rules" at home for his children. Maybe he was using it as a metaphor, and now come to think of it, he was also referring to how acculturated his children are, and so the old ways of educating children (like back at home) will not work with his children now.


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## ktdd

因地制宜 means to modify your methods in accordance with local conditions. But its meaning has drifted a bit through common usage I guess. It's now more along the line of making do with what is available. Another phrase that often goes together with 因地制宜 is 因陋就簡. Perhaps that's why some feel its use strange. The "change your ways" sense is a bit archaic, is what I'm saying.


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## fyl

If it is a metaphor (地=children), the usage is acceptable.
If it is the normal way (地=国外), the usage sounds quite wrong. I'm not sure how to explain it.


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## Carrie_Jaye

Thank you for all your thoughts and input  I've certainly learnt a lot, both in English use as well as Mandarin!!
Wish there was a "like" button with every comment.
So glad that I found this forum!!!


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## brofeelgood

Carrie_Jaye said:


> 現在父母*教育小孩的方式還有觀念*要改一改, 尤其在國外。要懂得*因地制宜*


这里指的会不会是父母亲对孩子的教育方式要因地制宜?


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## Carrie_Jaye

brofeelgood said:


> 这里指的会不会是父母亲对孩子的教育方式要因地制宜?



That was what I thought when I first heard it. And people found it confusing to understand, which got me confused as well LOL And for a moment there I thought that my Mandarin really regressed a lot, which scared me somehow!! I think I really gotta work on my expression, even though those were the direct quotes from the parent... oh dear...


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## coolfool

There're many ways to express the Chinese idiom in the English tongue. The following is one of them:
in a/the make-lemonade-when-given-lemons way


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## Carrie_Jaye

I haven't heard of this phrase before, but this is also a good one! Thank you for the suggestion


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## coolfool

Who dares say he hears a lot of what he never hears?


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## brofeelgood

coolfool said:


> in a/the make-lemonade-when-given-lemons way


I'd like to find out more. Can you provide the source please?


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