对呀 海哥 之前不是说 已经定好规矩了吗
“Yeah, Hai. Didn't we agree on the rules earlier?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Can't we charge Ms. Gao's family the normal rate?”
对呀 海哥 之前不是 说 已经 定好规矩 了吗
“Yeah, Hai. Didn't we agree on the rules earlier?”
“How can we keep working if you do this, right?”
“You are breaking the agreement we already shook hands on, and it's unfair to the rest of us.”
Chinese commercial partnerships often struggle between objective rules ('规矩') and subjective interpersonal obligations ('人情'), leading to disputes when exceptions are made.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
set the rules / establish protocol
Widely used in business or collaborative settings to refer to agreed-upon procedures or pricing standards.
didn't we say before... / wasn't it agreed earlier that...
A conversational pattern used to confront someone about an apparent inconsistency with prior verbal agreements.
Softens the initial agreement while maintaining conversational warmth despite the confrontation.
Turns the statement into a pointed rhetorical question to demand accountability.
