国际法 (guó jì fǎ) — international law

Definition

noun
international law

Examples

  • 国际法。
    Xué xí guó jì fǎ xū yào liǎo jiě bù tóng guó jiā de fǎ lǜ tǐ xì.
    Studying international law requires understanding the legal systems of different countries.
  • 国际法。
    Zhè wèi jiào shòu shì guó jì fǎ lǐng yù de quán wēi zhuān jiā.
    This professor is a leading expert in the field of international law.
  • 国际法。
    Liǎng guó zhī jiān de zhēng duān yìng tōng guò guó jì fǎ lái jiě jué.
    Disputes between the two countries should be resolved through international law.

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.

国际international
国guócountry际jìinter-
偏正Modifier + head
法fǎlaw

Law governing relations among countries.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì際⁰jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Open 际 →

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.

Open 法 →

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