沿用 yányòng to continue to use (old methods)
to continue to use (old methods); to apply as before; according to usage
How to remember 沿用: 沿 to follow a course + 用 to use (Kangxi radical 101) = to continue to use (old methods).
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How it is used
- Means to keep using an existing method, name, or system rather than replacing it - 这个名称一直沿用至今 (zhège míngchēng yìzhí yányòng zhìjīn) this name has continued in use to this day.
- The key nuance is continuity from the past: it stresses carrying forward an old practice, not just 'using'.
- Typical objects are 方法、制度、名称、标准 (methods, systems, names, standards) - abstract things inherited over time, not physical tools.