Meaning of 说法
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to expound Buddhist teachings
- way of speaking
- wording
- formulation
- one's version (of events)
- statement
- theory
- hypothesis
- interpretation
How to use 说法
In everyday Chinese, 说法 (shuōfa) refers to a way of putting something, a version of events, or a claim people make. It often appears in phrases like 有一种说法 (there is a saying or theory that) and 换个说法 (to put it another way). Example: 这只是他的说法。(Zhè zhǐ shì tā de shuōfa.) That is just his version.
说 (shuō) means to speak and 法 (fǎ) means a way or method, so 说法 is literally a way of saying something. Think of it as the wording or version someone uses to tell a story.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 说法 (way of saying, a claim) with 想法 (xiǎngfǎ, an idea or opinion in someone's mind). Use 说法 for what is said or stated, and 想法 for what someone thinks.
说法 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.
说 shuō · to speak · 9 strokes
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法 fǎ · law · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 说法.
| 说话 | shuōhuà | to speak; to say |
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem |
| 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear (sth said); one hears (that) |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth) |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure |
| 说明 | shuōmíng | to explain; to illustrate |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | way of looking at a thing; view |
| 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel; fiction |
| 比如说 | bǐrú shuō | for example |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making |
| 传说 | chuánshuō | legend; folk tale; to repeat from mouth to mouth; they say that... |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate |
Questions about 说法
What does 说法 mean?
说法 (shuōfǎ) means "to expound Buddhist teachings" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 说法?
说法 is made of 2 characters: 说 (9 strokes), 法 (8 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 说法 an HSK word?
Yes. 说法 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 说法 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 说法 is written 說法.
Is 说法 pronounced shuōfǎ or shuōfa?
For the common meaning of wording, version or theory, it is usually said with a neutral tone: shuōfa. The full third tone shuōfǎ is used for the Buddhist sense of expounding teachings.
What does 讨个说法 mean?
讨个说法 (tǎo ge shuōfa) means to demand an explanation or a fair answer, often after being treated unfairly. Here 说法 means an official account or justification from someone responsible.