法

See also: 灋

法 U+6CD5, 法 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6CD5 ← 泔 [U+6CD4] CJK Unified Ideographs 泖 → [U+6CD6]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

法 (Kangxi radical 85, 水+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 水土戈 (EGI), four-corner 3413₁, composition ⿰氵去)

Derived characters

• 𠵽, 𭡚, 𦝌, 琺, 鍅, 𪶏, 𭱇, 𬈅, 𧇦, 𭓼, 𦲾, 𪾁, 𪴹, 䦢, 𬰂, 𢌇, 𦝎, 𤀢, 𪫚, 𠎢

Related characters

• 灋 (Variant traditional form of 法)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 616, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17290
• Dae Jaweon: page 1010, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1579, character 4
• Unihan data for U+6CD5

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		法
alternative forms		㳒 灋 𢌇 佱 𣳴

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 法
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (法) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
法	*pqab
灋	*pqab

Simplified from earlier 灋, which was originally used to represent 廢 (OC *pads, “to cast aside; to abrogate”).

Etymology 1

Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Tibetan བབས (babs, “shape, form, appearance”), དབྱིབས (dbyibs, “shape, form, figure”). Possibly cognate with 凡 (OC *bom, “all, general, every; pattern, general rule”); see there for more.

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 法

1. law; rule; regulation; statute

   法院  ―  fǎyuàn  ―  court of law

   立法  ―  lìfǎ  ―  to legislate

   犯法  ―  fànfǎ  ―  to break the law

   普通法  ―  pǔtōngfǎ  ―  common law

   著作權法／著作权法  ―  zhùzuòquánfǎ  ―  copyright law

2. norm; standard; model; example

   法書／法书  ―  fǎshū  ―  model calligraphy

   語法／语法  ―  yǔfǎ  ―  grammar

3. to imitate; to emulate

   效法  ―  xiàofǎ  ―  to imitate

   師法／师法  ―  shīfǎ  ―  to imitate

4. method; way; solution

   歸納法／归纳法  ―  guīnàfǎ  ―  inductive reasoning

5. (Buddhism) dharma; principle of the universe; teachings of Buddha

   法輪／法轮  ―  fǎlún  ―  dharmachakra

   末法時期／末法时期  ―  mò fǎ shíqī  ―  Dharma-ending age

6. magic; magic arts; sorcery; witchcraft

   施法  ―  shīfǎ  ―  to cast a spell

7. 40th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "law" (𝌭)
8. a surname

Usage notes

• Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian (《现代汉语规范词典》) proscribes the use of the pronunciations fā and fá.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (法):

• → Japanese: 法(ほう) (hō)
• → Korean: 법(法) (beop)
• → Vietnamese: pháp (法)

Others:

• → Proto-Tai
  • Lao: ແບບ (bǣp, “form; model, standard, example; method; style, manner; brand, type”)
  • Thai: แบบ (bɛ̀ɛp, “kind; design, pattern; style; type; model”)
  • → Khmer: បែប (baep, “kind, sort, model, type; style, form, shape; aspect; method, way, situation, condition”)
• → Vietnamese: phép (“rule, custom, usage, method; permission, authorisation; magical power”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fǎ, fà (fa³, fa⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄚˇ, ㄈㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): faat³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): fap

  (Meixian, Guangdong): fab⁵

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hoat

  (Teochew, Peng'im): huab⁴ / huag⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fǎ
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄚˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fǎ
    • Wade–Giles: fa³
    • Yale: fǎ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: faa
    • Palladius: фа (fa)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fä²¹⁴/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, originally Beijing dialect, common variant in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fà
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fà
    • Wade–Giles: fa⁴
    • Yale: fà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fah
    • Palladius: фа (fa)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: faat³
    • Yale: faat
    • Cantonese Pinyin: faat⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: fad³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːt̚³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fap
    • Hakka Romanization System: fab^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fab⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /fap̚²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: fab⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /fap̚¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoat
    • Tâi-lô: huat
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hoad
    • IPA (Xiamen): /huat̚³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /huat̚⁵/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /huat̚³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /huat̚³²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /huat̚³²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: huab⁴ / huag⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: huap / huak
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /huap̚²/, /huak̚²/

Note:

• huab4 - Chaozhou;
• huag4 - Shantou.

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 法

1. Short for 法蘭西／法兰西 (Fǎlánxī, “France”).

   法語／法语  ―  fǎyǔ  ―  French language

   法棍  ―  fǎgùn  ―  French stick

Usage notes

• Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian (《现代汉语规范词典》) proscribes the use of the pronunciation fà.

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fǎ (fa³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄚˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fǎ
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄚˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fǎ
    • Wade–Giles: fa³
    • Yale: fǎ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: faa
    • Palladius: фа (fa)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fä²¹⁴/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 法

1. Short for 法拉 (fǎlā, “farad”).

References

• “法”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

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Japanese

Kanji

法

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. method
2. law, rule
3. principle
4. model
5. system

Readings

• Go-on: ほう (hō, Jōyō)^{←ほふ (fofu, historical)}
• Kan-on: ほう (hō, Jōyō)^{←はふ (fafu, historical)}
• Kan’yō-on: はっ (ha', Jōyō ^†)^{←はふ (fafu, historical)}、ほっ (ho', Jōyō ^†)^{←ほふ (fofu, historical)}
• Kun: おきて (okite, 法)、のっとる (nottoru, 法る)、のり (nori, 法)
• Nanori: かず (kazu)、つね (tsune)、はかる (hakaru)

Compounds

• 永(えい)字(じ)八(はっ)法(ぽう) (eiji happō, “the Eight Principles of Yong”)
• 法(ほう)号(ごう) (hōgō, “a dharma name”)
• 法(ほう)案(あん) (hōan)
• 法(ほう)印(いん) (hōin)
• 法(ほう)衣(え) (hōe), 法(ほう)衣(い) (hōi)
• 法(ほう)医(い)学(がく) (hōigaku)
• 法(ほう)王(おう) (hōō)
• 法(ほう)皇(おう) (hōō)
• 法(ほう)外(がい) (hōgai)
• 法(ほう)学(がく) (hōgaku)
• 法(ほう)規(き) (hōki)
• 法(ほう)事(じ) (hōji)
• 法(ほう)術(じゅつ) (hōjutsu)
• 法(ほう)人(じん) (hōjin)
• 法(ほう)則(そく) (hōsoku)
• 法(ほう)定(てい) (hōtei)

• 法(ほう)廷(てい) (hōtei)
• 法(ほう)典(てん) (hōten)
• 法(はっ)度(と) (hatto)
• 法(ほう)要(よう) (hōyō)
• 法(ほ)螺(ら) (hora)
• 法(ほう)力(りき) (hōriki), 法(ほう)力(りょく) (hōryoku)
• 法(ほう)律(りつ) (hōritsu)
• 法(ほう)輪(りん) (hōrin)
• 加(か)法(ほう) (kahō)
• 家(か)法(ほう) (kahō)
• 減(げん)法(ぽう) (genpō)
• 憲(けん)法(ぽう) (kenpō), 憲(けん)法(ぼう) (kenbō)
• 刑(けい)法(ほう) (keihō)

• 公(こう)法(ほう) (kōhō)
• 国(こく)法(ほう) (kokuhō)
• 国(こく)際(さい)法(ほう) (kokusaihō)
• 司(し)法(ほう) (shihō)
• 私(し)法(ほう) (shihō)
• 除(じょ)法(ほう) (johō)
• 商(しょう)法(ほう) (shōhō)
• 乗(じょう)法(ほう) (jōhō)
• 定(じょう)法(ほう) (jōhō)
• 民(みん)法(ぽう) (minpō)
• 寸(すん)法(ぽう) (sunpō, “dimension, size”)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
法
ほう Grade: 4
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 法 (MC pjop). Originally, the kan'on was はふ (fafu), and the goon was ほふ (fofu), although both became ほう (hō) in modern Japanese. It is suggested that the kan'on was used in the general senses, while the goon was used in Buddhist contexts.

Noun

法(ほう) • (hō) ^{←はふ (fafu)?}

1. principle
2. law
3. code of law
4. method
5. etiquette
6. (Buddhism) dharma
7. (grammar) mood
8. (mathematics) divisor

Derived terms

• 方(ほう)法(ほう) (hōhō, “way, method, manner”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
法
のり Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative forms

• 規, 則, 矩

Noun

法(のり) • (nori) 

1. law
2. measure, size

   内(うち)法(のり)

   uchi nori

   inner size

Synonyms

• (law): 法(ほう)規(き) (hōki), 法(ほう)律(りつ) (hōritsu)
• (measure): 寸(すん)法(ぽう) (sunpō)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
法
ふらん Grade: 4
irregular

From French franc.

Noun

法(フラン) • (furan) 

1. Alternative spelling of フラン

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

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Korean

Hanja

法 (eumhun 법 법 (beop beop))

1. hanja form^? of 법 (“law”)

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Vietnamese

Han character

法: Hán Việt readings: pháp
法: Nôm readings: pháp, phép, phấp, phăm, phắp, bắp, mép

1. chữ Hán form of pháp (“law, method, standard”).
2. chữ Hán form of Pháp (“France, French”).
3. Template:nom form of

Derived terms

• 句法 (cú pháp)
• 司法 (tư pháp)
• 合法 (hợp pháp)
• 律法 (luật pháp)
• 憲法 (hiến pháp)
• 拳法 (quyền pháp)
• 方法 (phương pháp)
• 書法 (thư pháp)
• 法制 (pháp chế)
• 法家 (pháp gia)
• 法師 (pháp sư)
• 法律 (pháp luật)
• 法權 (pháp quyền)
• 法術 (pháp thuật)
• 法輪 (pháp luân)
• 法醫 (pháp y)
• 犯法 (phạm pháp)
• 療法 (liệu pháp)
• 立法 (lập pháp)
• 筆法 (bút pháp)
• 行法 (hành pháp)
• 解法 (giải pháp)
• 語法 (ngữ pháp)
• 辦法 (biện pháp)
• 非法 (phi pháp)