法衣 (fǎ yī) — ceremonial garments worn by Buddhist or Daoist…

Definition

noun

ceremonial garments worn by Buddhist or Daoist priests

Measure word · 件

Easily confused

法衣。
Zhè wèi hé shàng chuān zhuó hóng sè de fǎ yī.
This monk is wearing a red ceremonial robe.
法衣。
fǎ yī Shàng xiù zhe jīn sè de tú àn.
Golden patterns are embroidered on the ceremonial robe.
，法衣。
Zài dào guàn lǐ, wǒ kàn dào dào shi chuān zhuó fǎ yī zuò fǎ shì.
In the Daoist temple, I saw a Daoist priest wearing the ceremonial robe performing a ritual.

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.

衣yīclothing

法 refers to religious dharma and 衣 refers to clothing, giving ritual robes.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.