妙法 (miào fǎ) — ingenious expedient; clever solution; (Buddhism…

Definition

A literary term for a 'clever solution or method' (妙计, 良策). In Buddhist texts it refers to the Buddha's profound teaching (the Dharma).

noun

ingenious expedientclever solution(Buddhism) profound doctrinethe subtle Dharma

妙法。
Tā tí chū de zhè ge miào fǎ hěn kuài jiù jiě jué le wèn tí.
The ingenious expedient he proposed quickly solved the problem.
，妙法。
Zài kùn jìng zhōng, tā xiǎng chū le yí gè miào fǎ.
In a difficult situation, he came up with an ingenious solution.
妙法。
Zhè bù jīng xiáng xì chǎn shù le fó de miào fǎ.
This sutra elaborates on the Buddha's profound doctrine.

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.

妙miàoingenious

“妙” gives the sense of ingenious, and “法” names a method or doctrine, yielding a clever expedient.

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.

女少妙

Meaning part形符xíngfú

女女nǚwoman

Sound part声符shēngfú

少

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

妙 combines 女, a woman, with 少, which gives the sound.

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.