TongTong
Sign in

法令 (fǎ lìng) — laws and decrees; legal regulations

Definition

法令 refers to laws and decrees issued by the state — more formal and official than 法规, and broader in scope than 条例 (which covers specific implementing rules).

noun
laws and decreeslegal regulations
Measure word · 项

Examples

  • 法令。
    Zhèng fǔ zuì jìn bān bù le yí xiàng xīn de fǎ lìng.
    The government recently issued a new decree.
  • 法令。
    Suǒ yǒu gōng mín dōu bì xū zūn shǒu guó jiā de fǎ lìng.
    All citizens must abide by the nation's laws and decrees.
  • 法令。
    Zhè xiàng fǎ lìng yǐ jīng shí shī le wǔ shí nián.
    This legal regulation has been in effect for fifty years.

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fǎlaw
令lìngdecree

法 law and 令 decree combine to refer to rules and orders issued by authority.

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
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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.