正法 (zhèng fǎ) — to execute (a criminal)

Definition

Formal/legal verb meaning to execute a convicted criminal, used in writing and legal or historical contexts rather than everyday speech.

verb

to execute (a criminal)

正法。
Fǎ yuàn jué dìng jiāng nà ge zuì fàn zhèng fǎ.
The court decided to execute that criminal.
，正法。
Tā zài zhàn zhēng zhōng fàn xià zhòng zuì, zuì zhōng bèi zhèng fǎ.
He committed serious crimes during the war and was finally executed.
。
Nà ge fàn rén zuó tiān bèi zhèng le fǎ.
That prisoner was executed yesterday.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

正zhèngcarry out punishment

正 suggests carrying out punishment, and 法 suggests law; together they mean to execute a criminal under the 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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng正zhèng

Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 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.

Appears in