有法 (yǒu fǎ) — (formal/literary) there is a way to, it is possible to

Definition

Formal/literary way to say 'there is a way to' or 'it is possible to' — used in writing and proverbs rather than everyday speech.

verb
(formal/literary) there is a way toit is possible to

Examples

  • 有法。
    Zhè ge wèn tí yǒu fǎ jiě jué.
    There is a way to solve this problem.
  • ，有法。
    Zhǐ yào nǔ lì, méi yǒu yǒu fǎ zuò chéng de shì.
    As long as you work hard, there is nothing that cannot be done.
  • 有法。
    Tā xiāng xìn rèn hé kùn nan dōu yǒu fǎ kè fú.
    He believes every difficulty can be overcome.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
法fǎmethod

有 “have” and 法 “method” combine to mean there is a way.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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