看法 (kàn fǎ) — view; opinion (on a subject or person)

Definition

看法 is a personal 'view / opinion' on a subject. 比 想法 more concrete and grounded, 比 观点 more everyday and less formal.

noun
viewopinion (on a subject or person)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 看法。
    Wǒ duì zhè ge diàn yǐng de kàn fǎ hěn hǎo.
    I have a good opinion of this movie.
  • 看法?
    Nǐ yǒu shén me kàn fǎ?
    What's your opinion?
  • 看法。
    Dà jiā de kàn fǎ bù tóng.
    Everyone has a different view.

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.

A 法 for 看 something, i.e. a way of viewing it.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 看 puts 手 (hand) over 目 (eye), showing a hand placed above the eyes to gaze into the distance.

Open 看 →

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 →

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