附则 (fù zé) — supplementary provisions (appended to a law, treaty, or regulation)

Definition

The supplementary articles appended at the end of a law, treaty, or formal regulation — usually containing implementation details and interpretation clauses.

noun
supplementary provisions (appended to a law, treaty, or regulation)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 附则。
    Zhè fèn hé tong de fù zé duì shuāng fāng dōu yǒu yuē shù lì.
    The supplementary provisions of this contract are binding on both parties.
  • 附则。
    Tiáo yuē de fù zé xiáng xì shuō míng le zhí xíng fāng shì.
    The supplementary articles of the treaty detail the implementation methods.
  • 附则。
    Fǎ lǜ fù zé zhōng bāo kuò le zhòng yào de jiě shì tiáo kuǎn.
    The supplementary provisions of the law include important interpretation clauses.

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.

附fùattached
则zéarticle

“附” gives attached or supplementary, and “则” gives articles; together they mean supplementary articles.

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
付
付fù附fù
Same sound today

附 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 付 as the sound part.

Open 附 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 則; 则 is its simplified writing.

  • 鼎鼎dǐngding, a bronze cauldron for cooking or sacrificial rituals
  • 刂刀dāoknife

The traditional form 則 pairs 鼎, a bronze cauldron, with 刂, a knife, possibly showing carving on a bronze vessel; the simplified 则 is a later shorthand.

Open 则 →

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