做法 (zuò fǎ) — method, way of doing something; recipe, cooking… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

做法 covers both 'method' (general or work) and 'recipe/cooking method'. Wider in meaning than 办法 (mainly problem-solving), and broader than 方式 (more formal/abstract manner) or 手法 (a specific technique).

noun

methodway of doing somethingrecipecooking method

Measure word · 个

Examples

做法，。
Zhè ge zuò fǎ hěn jiǎn dān, nǐ yí kàn jiù huì.
This method is very simple — you'll get it as soon as you see it.
做法。
Wǒ men xū yào gǎi biàn yí xià gōng zuò zuò fǎ.
We need to change our work method a bit.
做法。
Jiào jiào wǒ zuò zhè dào cài de zuò fǎ ba.
Teach me the recipe for this dish.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

法fǎmethod

做 (do) specifies the kind of 法 (method), giving a way of doing something.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid

Sound part声符shēngfú

盍

盍hé法fǎ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Abstract Concepts Cooking 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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