刀法 (dāo fǎ) — skill in using a knife or sword; knife/sword te…

Definition

noun

skill in using a knife or swordknife/sword technique

Measure word · 种

刀法。
Tā de dāo fǎ fēi cháng jīng zhàn.
His knife technique is very exquisite.
刀法。
Zhè wèi chú shī de dāo fǎ lìng rén zàn tàn.
This chef's knife skills are admirable.
刀法。
Xué xí dāo fǎ xū yào cháng shí jiān liàn xí.
Learning knife skills requires long practice.

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.

Knife + method gives the technique of using a knife.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 刀 comes from a simple picture of a knife.

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.