A formal word, mostly from school, law, and social science, for talk that sets a rule — or treats a rule as the right way to behave. A normative sentence does not just report what people do; it says what they ought to do. “You should keep your word” is normative; “Many people break promises” is not.

A formal word這是一個正式的字, mostly from school, law, and social science大多用在學術、法律，和社會科學裡, for talk that sets a rule用來指設下規則的說法 — or treats a rule as the right way to behave或是把某個規則當成正確行為方式的說法. A normative sentence does not just reportnormative的句子不只是在報告 what people do人們做了什麼; it says而是在說 what they ought to do人們「應該」做什麼。 "You should keep your word" is normative「你應該遵守承諾」是normative的; "Many people break promises" is not「很多人會違背承諾」不是。

Teachers speak of normative grammar when they mean the tidy “correct” forms, as against the messy ways people actually talk. In ethics, a normative claim is about good and bad, not about what happens to be common.

Teachers speak of normative grammar老師說normative grammar（規範文法）時 when they mean the tidy "correct" forms指的是整齊的「正確」形式, as against the messy ways people actually talk相對於人們實際說話那種亂糟糟的方式. In ethics在倫理學裡, a normative claim is aboutnormative的主張講的是 good and bad好壞, not about what happens to be common而不是講什麼剛好比較常見。

Though actually everyday speakers sometimes use it as a heavy synonym of normal, “the usual thing,” and that is a little loose: normal follows the pattern, while normative tries to lay the pattern down.

Though actually不過其實, everyday speakers sometimes use it as a heavy synonym of normal日常說話的人有時候會把它當成normal（正常）的加強版同義詞, "the usual thing"意思是「一般常見的事」, and that is a little loose這樣用其實有點鬆散: normal follows the patternnormal是順著模式走, while normative tries to lay the pattern down而normative是想要訂下那個模式。

You will rarely hear it in a shop; you will meet it in essays and policy papers. It can name a tone as well as a rule: a normative culture is one that quietly tells you how to act.

You will rarely hear it in a shop你在店裡幾乎不會聽到這個字; you will meet it你會遇到它 in essays and policy papers在論文和政策文件裡. It can name a tone as well as a rule它也可以用來形容一種氛圍，而不只是規則: a normative culture is onenormative culture（規範性文化）指的是那種 that quietly tells you how to act默默告訴你該怎麼做的文化。