法务 (fǎ wù) — legal affairs | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

legal affairs

Measure word · 个

法务。
Tā zài gōng sī de fǎ wù bù mén gōng zuò.
He works in the company's legal affairs department.
法务。
Zhè ge hé tong xū yào fǎ wù shěn hé.
This contract needs legal affairs review.
法务。
Tā shì yì míng fǎ wù zhuān yuán.
She is a legal affairs specialist.

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.

务wùaffairs

法 'law' and 务 'affairs' combine as law affairs, giving the sense of legal matters.

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

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.

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

敄

敄wù務wù

Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

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