方法 (fāng fǎ) — method; way; means | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

方法 is the everyday 'method' or 'way' for doing something — broad and neutral. 办法 is similar but stresses finding a solution to a problem; 方式 is more formal and abstract (a 'manner' or 'mode').

noun

methodwaymeans

Measure word · 个

Examples

方法。
Wǒ men zhǎo dào le yí gè xīn de fāng fǎ lái jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí.
We found a new method to solve this problem.
方法，。
Zhè ge fāng fǎ hěn jiǎn dān, nǐ kě yǐ yòng.
This method is very simple, you can use it.
方法，。
Yīn wèi fāng fǎ bù tóng, suǒ yǐ wǒ men dé dào le bù tóng de jié guǒ.
Because the methods were different, we got different results.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

法fǎmethod

方 and 法 both carry the sense of a way or rule, so together they name a method.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

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