p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

家法

jiāfǎ
noun #54,958

Meanings

  1. 1 family rules; household discipline
  2. 2 stick or rod used to discipline children or servants in old families
  3. 3 the doctrine and methods passed down within a school of thought from master to disciple

Examples

HSK 6
在传统大家庭里，家法非常严厉。
Zài chuántǒng dàjiātíng lǐ, jiāfǎ fēicháng yánlì.
In traditional large families, household discipline was very strict.
HSK 7-9
他犯了错，被父亲用家法责打。
Tā fàn le cuò, bèi fùqīn yòng jiāfǎ zé dǎ.
He made a mistake and was punished by his father with the family rod.
HSK 7-9
这位学者严守师门家法。
Zhèwèi xuézhě yánshǒu shīmén jiāfǎ.
This scholar strictly upholds the doctrines of his master's school.

Tips

culture
The three meanings cluster around one idea - 'rules of the house' - but escalate. (1) Family code of conduct. (2) The literal stick (a 戒尺) for enforcing it. (3) By extension, the 'house rules' of a scholarly tradition, where Han dynasty Confucian academies competed over rival 家法 of classics interpretation. Context tells you which sense applies.

Stroke Order

家 jiā
法 fǎ