文法 (wén fǎ) — grammar (the system of rules for a language); s…

Definition

Classical or formal term for 'grammar' — mostly seen in academic or legal writing. In everyday modern Chinese the usual word is 语法.

noun

grammar (the system of rules for a language)syntax (sentence structure and word order)

文法，。
Zhè piān lùn wén wén fǎ bù tōng, xū yào xiū gǎi.
This paper has ungrammatical writing and needs revision.
文法，。
Yán jiū gǔ dài hàn yǔ de wén fǎ, bì xū liǎo jiě qí tè shū jù shì.
To study the grammar of classical Chinese, you must understand its special sentence patterns.
文法。
Fǎ lǜ wén shū duì wén fǎ de yāo qiú fēi cháng yán gé.
Legal documents have very strict requirements for grammar/writing rules.

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.

文wénlanguage

文 refers to language or writing, 法 to rules, so it means grammar.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

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.

Appears in