辩证法 (biàn zhèng fǎ) — dialectics (philosophical method)

Definition

A philosophical method (often Marxist) that studies how things develop through contradiction. 辩证 appears across 辩证唯物主义 and 辩证关系 — 'dialectical' is a fixed label, not a separable verb.

noun
dialectics (philosophical method)

Examples

  • 辩证法。
    Xué xí biàn zhèng fǎ kě yǐ bāng zhù wǒ men lǐ jiě shì wù de fā zhǎn guī lǜ.
    Learning dialectics can help us understand the laws of development of things.
  • 辩证法。
    Tā xiě le yì piān guān yú biàn zhèng fǎ de wén zhāng.
    He wrote an article about dialectics.
  • 辩证法。
    Mǎ kè sī de biàn zhèng fǎ qiáng diào máo dùn shì fā zhǎn de dòng lì.
    Marx's dialectics emphasizes that contradiction is the driving force of development.

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.

辩证dialectical
辩biàndistinguish证zhèngverify
联合Side by side
法fǎmethod

辩证法 means a 法, or method, that is 辩证, i.e. dialectical.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 辯; 辩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辯biàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 辯 pairs 言, meaning say, with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 辩 is a later shorthand.

Open 辩 →

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →

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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