历法 (lì fǎ) — calendar system | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

calendar system

Easily confused

历法。
Zhōng guó yǒu gǔ lǎo de chuán tǒng lì fǎ.
China has an ancient traditional calendar system.
历法。
lì fǎ Duì nóng yè fēi cháng zhòng yào.
The calendar system is very important for agriculture.
历法。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū gǔ dài de lì fǎ.
Scientists are studying ancient calendar systems.

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.

历lìcalendar

历 (calendar) specifies the kind of 法 (system), giving calendar system.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歷; 历 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 历 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (简历, 经历) it is 歷; in others (日历) it is 曆.

厤止歷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

厤

厤lì歷lì

Same sound today

The form 歷 pairs 止 with the sound part 厤.

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.