基本法 (jī běn fǎ) — basic law

Definition

基本法 means a country's fundamental or constitutional law, with the strongest legal authority below the constitution itself — not just any 'basic law' or ordinary statute.

noun
basic law

Examples

  • 基本法。
    Xiāng gǎng tè bié xíng zhèng qū gēn jù jī běn fǎ zhì dìng le zì jǐ de fǎ lǜ.
    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region enacted its own laws in accordance with the Basic Law.
  • 基本法。
    jī běn fǎ Shì yí gè guó jiā zuì zhòng yào de fǎ lǜ zhī yī.
    The basic law is one of the most important laws of a country.
  • 基本法。
    Měi gè gōng mín dōu yīng gāi liǎo jiě guó jiā de jī běn fǎ.
    Every citizen should understand the basic law of the country.

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.

基本basic
基jībase本běnroot
联合Side by side
法fǎlaw

基本 means basic and 法 means law, so together they name a basic law.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí基jī
Same sound today

The lower 土 means earth, and the upper 其 gives the sound; together they form the idea of a foundation of earth.

Open 基 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.

Open 本 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.