<p>制 and 製 are two different characters in traditional Chinese, and were merged to one single 制 in simplified Chinese. 制 is a noun and verb, while 製 is a verb, like 制度: institution, 机制: mechanism, 制服 means <strong>suppress</strong> while 製服 means <strong>uniform</strong>, as well as 製造: make, produce, etc. The meaning of 制服 in simplified Chinese is ambiguous, depending the context.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-05T07:36:53.883Z
2018-03-05T07:36:53.883Z
xenophōn
<p>Historically they were the same character. Later the meanings split, 製 is usually the verb meaning to make, and 制 the noun meaning the system, or more abstract things. </p>

<p><code>Uniform</code> should be <code>制服</code>, because it means the clothing following certain rules/system. <code>製服</code> could be literally interpreted as <code>clothing-making</code>. Regarding the meaning of <code>overpower</code>, it must be <code>制服</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-03T21:20:09.060Z
Even when 製 has 衣 as its radical?
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-04T01:27:53.433Z
@deutschZuid Yes, the original meaning was making cloth... but not everything related to clothing should be 製
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-04T08:30:50.043Z
`Historically they were the same character` Is this true? Since they both mean completely different things even in ancient times. (I don't know)
Derek 朕會功夫
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-04T09:02:19.233Z
@Derek朕會功夫 Sorry, it's probably one-sided -- you could certainly write 制 for 製 but probably not the other way round.
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-03T03:59:16.450Z
2013-12-03T03:59:16.450Z
user58955
<p>Simplified characters do not always mirror their traditional counterparts one to one. Sometimes you have a simplified character where some of its senses have one traditional form and some have another traditional form (essentially it's merged from multiple traditional characters). A very common example is 后, whose traditional form is 后 (same as the simplified form) for the sense of 'queen' and 後 for the sense of 'behind' or 'after'. </p>

<p>My confusion arises with the simplified character 制. I can't seem to figure out for which senses the traditional form 製 applies and and for which ones it doesn't apply. For example, the word 制服, it seems to be written in traditional as it is in simplified sometimes: <a href="http://www.hkfsd.gov.hk/chi/uniform.html">here (hk)</a> and <a href="http://class.ruten.com.tw/category/sub00.php?c=000200340003">here (tw)</a>, whereas  other times, it's written as 製服 such as <a href="http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20130718/18338178">here</a> and <a href="http://www.518.com.tw/%E7%8E%B3%E5%92%8C%E5%B0%88%E6%A5%AD%E8%A3%BD%E6%9C%8D%E6%9C%89%E9%99%90%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8-company-1582303.html">here</a> (this page actually contains both instances!!). To further complicate things, 制服 has another unrelated verb sense meaning 'to overpower, to subdue' for which the traditional form is the same as the simplified form.</p>

<p>Can anyone shed some light on this for me? </p>

<characters><traditional-vs-simplified>
For which senses of simplified 制 would I use the traditional form 製?
# For which senses of simplified 制 would I use the traditional form 製?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-03)

Simplified characters do not always mirror their traditional counterparts one to one. Sometimes you have a simplified character where some of its senses have one traditional form and some have another traditional form (essentially it's merged from multiple traditional characters). A very common example is 后, whose traditional form is 后 (same as the simplified form) for the sense of 'queen' and 後 for the sense of 'behind' or 'after'.

My confusion arises with the simplified character 制. I can't seem to figure out for which senses the traditional form 製 applies and and for which ones it doesn't apply. For example, the word 制服, it seems to be written in traditional as it is in simplified sometimes: [here (hk)](http://www.hkfsd.gov.hk/chi/uniform.html) and [here (tw)](http://class.ruten.com.tw/category/sub00.php?c=000200340003), whereas other times, it's written as 製服 such as [here](http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20130718/18338178) and [here](http://www.518.com.tw/%E7%8E%B3%E5%92%8C%E5%B0%88%E6%A5%AD%E8%A3%BD%E6%9C%8D%E6%9C%89%E9%99%90%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8-company-1582303.html) (this page actually contains both instances!!). To further complicate things, 制服 has another unrelated verb sense meaning 'to overpower, to subdue' for which the traditional form is the same as the simplified form.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

**Tags:** characters, traditional-vs-simplified


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-03. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Historically they were the same character. Later the meanings split, 製 is usually the verb meaning to make, and 制 the noun meaning the system, or more abstract things.

`Uniform` should be `制服`, because it means the clothing following certain rules/system. `製服` could be literally interpreted as `clothing-making`. Regarding the meaning of `overpower`, it must be `制服`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Even when 製 has 衣 as its radical?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 Yes, the original meaning was making cloth... but not everything related to clothing should be 製  
> **username_3**: `Historically they were the same character` Is this true? Since they both mean completely different things even in ancient times. (I don't know)  
> **username_2**: @Derek朕會功夫 Sorry, it's probably one-sided -- you could certainly write 制 for 製 but probably not the other way round.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-05. Score: 0

制 and 製 are two different characters in traditional Chinese, and were merged to one single 制 in simplified Chinese. 制 is a noun and verb, while 製 is a verb, like 制度: institution, 机制: mechanism, 制服 means **suppress** while 製服 means **uniform**, as well as 製造: make, produce, etc. The meaning of 制服 in simplified Chinese is ambiguous, depending the context.


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