非法 (fēi fǎ) — illegal, unlawful

Definition

Adjective meaning 'illegal, unlawful', used attributively (非法行为) or as a predicate (他的行为是非法的). Against siblings: 违法 is a verb ('to break the law'); 不法 is a closer synonym but more literary.

adjective
illegalunlawful

Examples

  • 。
    Tā de xíng wéi shì fēi fǎ de.
    His behavior is illegal.
  • ？
    Zhè yàng zuò shì fēi fǎ de ma?
    Is doing this illegal?
  • 非法。
    Tā fēi fǎ zhàn yòng le bié rén de chē wèi.
    He illegally occupied someone else's parking spot.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

非fēinot
法fǎlaw

非 gives a negative sense to 法, yielding not lawful.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

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 →
Appears in
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