加法 (jiā fǎ) — addition (mathematical operation)

Definition

noun
addition (mathematical operation)
Easily confused

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.

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
Math

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