Meaning of 合法
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- lawful
- legitimate
- legal
How to use 合法
合法 describes actions, rights, income, or status that follow the law. It often appears in formal contexts like news and official documents, and its opposite is 非法 (fēifǎ) or 违法 (wéifǎ). Example: 在这里停车是合法的。(Zài zhèlǐ tíngchē shì héfǎ de.) Parking here is legal.
合 (hé) means to fit or match, and 法 (fǎ) means law. Something 合法 fits the law, so it is legal.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 合法 with 合适 (héshì), since both start with 合. 合适 means suitable or a good fit, not legal. Also keep the tones straight: hé is second tone and fǎ is third tone, so do not say héfā.
合法 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
合 hé · to close · 6 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
法 fǎ · law · 8 strokes
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- 2
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Related words
Words that share a character with 合法.
| 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 |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; fitting; appropriate |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | way of looking at a thing; view |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together |
| 适合 | shìhé | to fit; to suit |
| 配合 | pèihé | matching; fitting in with |
| 联合 | liánhé | to combine; to join |
| 合理 | hélǐ | rational; reasonable; sensible; fair |
| 组合 | zǔhé | to assemble; to combine; to compose; combination; association; set; compilation |
Questions about 合法
What does 合法 mean?
合法 (héfǎ) means "lawful; legitimate" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 合法?
合法 is made of 2 characters: 合 (6 strokes), 法 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 合法 an HSK word?
Yes. 合法 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 非法 and 违法?
Both are opposites of 合法. 非法 (fēifǎ) is an adjective meaning illegal, as in 非法移民 (illegal immigration). 违法 (wéifǎ) is a verb phrase meaning to break the law, as in 他违法了 (he broke the law).
Can 合法 mean legitimate in a non-legal sense?
Yes, it can describe something officially recognized or rightful, such as 合法权益 (héfǎ quányì), legitimate rights and interests. For something that is merely reasonable, Chinese usually uses 合理 (hélǐ) instead.