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最高法院 (zuì gāo fǎ yuàn) — supreme court

Definition

noun
supreme court
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 最高法院。
    Zhè shì guó jiā de zuì gāo fǎ yuàn.
    This is the supreme court of the country.
  • 最高法院。
    zuì gāo fǎ yuàn Zuò chū le zuì hòu de pàn jué.
    The supreme court made the final ruling.
  • 最高法院。
    Tā jué dìng xiàng zuì gāo fǎ yuàn shàng sù.
    He decided to appeal to the supreme court.

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.

最高highest
最zuìmost高gāohigh
偏正Modifier + head
法院court
法fǎlaw院yuàninstitution/court
偏正Modifier + head

“最高” means highest, and “法院” means court, so it names the supreme court.

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
取
取qǔ最zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape pairs 取, which gives the sound, with a roof-like top from 宀; marks above were later added to separate the “most” meaning.

Open 最 →

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

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.

Open 法 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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