法 meaning and stroke order
Law; method; way
How to write 法, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 8
Meaning of 法
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- law
- method
- way
- to emulate
- (Buddhism) dharma
- (abbr. for 法家[Fa3 jia1]) the Legalists
How 法 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The course 去 followed by a stream 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 法
法 is water 氵 plus 去 (qù, to go). The etymology hint pictures the course 去 that a stream 氵 follows: water always goes the set way, just as people follow a law or a method.
法 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 办法 (bànfǎ), 方法 (fāngfǎ), 想法 (xiǎngfǎ) and 法律 (fǎlǜ). Example: 我没有办法。(Wǒ méiyǒu bànfǎ.) I have no way to deal with it.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 法 with 去 (qù) or 丢 (diū) because the right side looks similar. Remember that 法 has the water radical 氵 on the left. Also, 法 by itself is third tone, but in 办法 (bànfǎ) and 想法 (xiǎngfǎ) it is often said lightly in casual speech.
Common words with 法
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem | HSK 2 |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth) | HSK 2 |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure | HSK 2 |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | way of looking at a thing; view | HSK 2 |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making | HSK 2 |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate | HSK 3 |
| 无法 | wúfǎ | unable to; incapable of | HSK 4 |
| 法律 | fǎlǜ | law | HSK 4 |
| 法官 | fǎguān | judge (in court) | HSK 4 |
| 法院 | fǎyuàn | court of law; court | HSK 4 |
| 语法 | yǔfǎ | grammar; (computing) syntax | HSK 4 |
| 没法儿 | méifǎr | (coll.) can't do anything about it; (coll.) there's no way that ...; it's simply not credi | HSK 4 |
| 说法 | shuōfǎ | to expound Buddhist teachings | HSK 5 |
| 违法 | wéifǎ | illegal; to break the law | HSK 5 |
法 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 法
How many strokes are in 法?
法 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 法 mean?
法 (fǎ) means law; method; way. A common word with it is 办法 (bànfǎ), meaning "way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem".
How do you pronounce 法?
法 is pronounced fǎ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 法?
The radical of 法 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 法 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 法?
The traditional form of 法 is 㳒 and 灋. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 法 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 法 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 法 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How does 法 mean French?
法 is short for 法国 (Fǎguó), France, which comes from the sound of the name. So 法语 (Fǎyǔ) is French language and 法国菜 (Fǎguó cài) is French food.
What is the difference between 办法 and 方法?
办法 (bànfǎ) is a practical way to solve a specific problem, as in 没办法 (méi bànfǎ), nothing can be done. 方法 (fāngfǎ) is a more general or systematic method, such as 学习方法 (xuéxí fāngfǎ), study methods.