Meaning of 依法
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- legal (proceedings)
- according to law
How to use 依法
依法 is a formal adverb used in news, government notices, and legal writing. It usually comes right before a verb to show an action is done by legal means. Example: 警方依法处理了这件事。(Jǐngfāng yīfǎ chǔlǐ le zhè jiàn shì.) The police handled the matter according to law.
依 (yī) means to rely on or follow, and 法 (fǎ) means law. Put them together and you get "following the law," so 依法 means acting according to law.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 依法 (according to law) with 合法 (héfǎ, lawful). 依法 describes how an action is carried out, as in 依法办事, while 合法 describes whether something is legal, as in 合法的收入.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
依 yī · to depend on · 8 strokes
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法 fǎ · law · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 依法.
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth) |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | way of looking at a thing; view |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate |
| 无法 | wúfǎ | unable to; incapable of |
| 法律 | fǎlǜ | law |
| 法官 | fǎguān | judge (in court) |
| 依然 | yīrán | still; as before |
| 法院 | fǎyuàn | court of law; court |
| 依靠 | yīkào | to rely on; to depend on |
Questions about 依法
What does 依法 mean?
依法 (yīfǎ) means "legal (proceedings); according to law" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 依法?
依法 is made of 2 characters: 依 (8 strokes), 法 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 依法 an HSK word?
Yes. 依法 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 依法 in everyday conversation?
It sounds quite formal, so it is rare in casual talk. In daily speech people often say 按照法律 (ànzhào fǎlǜ) or simply talk around it. You will mostly see 依法 in written and official language.
What are common phrases with 依法?
Very common set phrases include 依法办事 (yīfǎ bànshì, handle matters according to law), 依法治国 (yīfǎ zhìguó, govern the country by law), and 依法纳税 (yīfǎ nàshuì, pay taxes according to law).