单方 (dān fāng) — (noun) one side; unilateral; (noun) folk prescription; home remedy

Definition

Two distinct meanings: 'unilateral, one-sided' (legal/political action, as opposed to 双方 'both sides'), and 'folk prescription, home remedy' (a traditional recipe passed down informally).

noun
one sideunilateralfolk prescriptionhome remedy
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 单方。
    dān fāng Jiě chú hé tong shì bù hé fǎ de.
    Unilaterally terminating a contract is illegal.
  • 单方，。
    Tā yòng le hěn duō dān fāng, dàn bìng qíng méi yǒu hǎo zhuǎn.
    He used many folk remedies, but his condition didn't improve.
  • ，单方。
    Zhè ge wèn tí xū yào shuāng fāng xié shāng, ér bú shì dān fāng xíng dòng.
    This issue requires mutual consultation, not unilateral action.

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.

单dānone
方fāngside/formula

单方 can mean one 方 of a pair, or a 方 that stands 单 as a simple remedy.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Open 单 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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