减法 (jiǎn fǎ) — subtraction | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

subtraction

Easily confused

减法。
jiǎn fǎ Shì yì zhǒng jī běn de shù xué yùn suàn.
Subtraction is a basic mathematical operation.
减法。
Tā zài xué xí jiā fǎ hé jiǎn fǎ.
She is learning addition and subtraction.
减法。
Zuò zhè dào tí nǐ yào yòng dào jiǎn fǎ.
To solve this problem you need to use subtraction.

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.

减 (subtract) specifies the kind of 法 (method): the method of subtracting.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 減; 减 is its simplified writing.

氵咸減

The traditional form 減 has 氵, water, and 咸, a seal: sealing off a stream of water lessens its flow. The simplified 减 is a later abbreviation.

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.