順

• Physical/Directional: Smooth, following a natural gradient or course (e.g., downstream); "along" or "in the direction of."
• Alignment/Accordance: Acting in accordance with principles, laws, or natural cycles.
• Social/Ethical: Obedience, submission, or compliance; often framed as harmonious alignment with hierarchy rather than forced coercion.

• Verb: To obey, comply, yield, or follow the course of.
• Adjective: Smooth, favorable, compliant, or unobstructed.
• Adverb/Preposition: Along, accordingly; often indicates the manner of a subsequent action.

• 順 vs. 逆 (nì): Direct opposites. 逆 means to go against, reverse, or rebel.
• 順 vs. 從 (cóng): While both can mean "to follow," 從 typically denotes the act of following behind or adhering to a lead; 順 emphasizes the quality of the movement—the absence of friction or resistance.
• 順 vs. 和 (hé): 和 refers to a state of balance or harmony; 順 is the active process of aligning oneself with that balance.

Simplified variant: U+987A.

The English equivalent depends heavily on the object of the glyph:

• With physical directions/paths: Use "along" or "downstream."
• With natural phenomena/principles: Use "in accordance with" or "aligning with."
• With persons/authority: Use "obey," "comply," or "submit to."