加法 (jiā fǎ) — addition (mathematical operation)

Definition

noun

addition (mathematical operation)

Examples

加法？
Nǐ xué huì jiā fǎ le ma?
Have you learned addition?
加法。
Zhè dào tí yòng jiā fǎ jiù kě yǐ suàn chū lái.
This problem can be solved using addition.
加法。
Xiǎo míng de jiā fǎ zuò dé hěn hǎo.
Xiaoming does addition very well.

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.

加jiāadd

法fǎmethod

加 means add and 法 means method, naming the method of adding.

Characters in this word

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

力口加

力力lìstrength
口口kǒumouth

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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 →

Appears in