句法 (jù fǎ) — syntax; sentence structure

Definition

noun

syntaxsentence structure

句法。
Xué xí hàn yǔ jù fǎ duì tí gāo xiě zuò néng lì hěn yǒu bāng zhù.
Learning Chinese syntax is very helpful for improving writing skills.
句法，。
Zhè ge jù zi de jù fǎ yǒu wèn tí, xū yào xiū gǎi.
The syntax of this sentence has a problem and needs to be revised.
句法。
Yǔ yán xué kè chéng zhòng diǎn jiǎng jiě le xiàn dài hàn yǔ de jù fǎ.
The linguistics course focused on explaining the syntax of modern Chinese.

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.

句jùsentence

句 means sentence, 法 means rule; sentence rules describe syntax.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

丩丩jiūto entangle

Sound part声符shēngfú

口

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

句 pairs 丩, originally two entangled ropes and giving a sense of entangling, with 口 as the sound part.

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.