郷に入っては郷に従え

Japanese

Kanji in this term
郷	入	郷	従
ごう Grade: 6	い Grade: 1	ごう Grade: 6	したが Grade: 6
kan’yōon	kun’yomi	kan’yōon	kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
鄕に入っては鄕に從え (kyūjitai)

Alternative forms

• 郷に入りては郷に従え

Etymology

Partial calque of Literary Chinese 入鄉隨俗 (rùxiāngsuísú, literally “entering the countryside, follow the custom (thereof)”). The back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 入鄉從鄉 (also compare Chinese 入鄉隨鄉／入乡随乡).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡo̞ː ɲ̟i it̚te̞ ɰᵝa̠ ɡo̞ː ɲ̟i ɕita̠ɡa̠e̞]

Proverb

郷(ごう)に入(い)っては郷(ごう)に従(したが)え • (gō ni itte wa gō ni shitagae) 

1. when in Rome, do as the Romans do