law
HSK level
法律 is written with 17 strokes (法: 8, 律: 9). The animation replays automatically.
法律 (fǎlǜ) is the Chinese noun for 'law' in the sense of the legal system and its formal statutes — the body of binding rules enforced by the state (遵守法律 obey the law, 法律责任 legal liability).
It is register-neutral, common in both everyday and formal contexts, and pairs with words like 保护 (protect), 规定 (stipulate), and 违反 (violate). English speakers should note that 法律 refers to law as a system or as statutes, not to a scientific 'law' — the law of gravity is 定律 (dìnglǜ), never 法律.
As an adjective-like modifier it forms compounds (法律问题 legal issue, 法律援助 legal aid). For an individual regulation you often use 条 as the measure word; for a whole legal code, use 部.
Character by character
Memory hook: 法 (law) + 律 (statute) — the double word for the formal rules of the state.
每个人都要遵守法律。
Měi ge rén dōu yào zūnshǒu fǎlǜ.
Everyone must obey the law.
neutral
这件事你最好去问一下懂法律的人。
Zhè jiàn shì nǐ zuìhǎo qù wèn yíxià dǒng fǎlǜ de rén.
You'd better ask someone who understands the law about this.
spoken
法律面前人人平等。
Fǎlǜ miànqián rénrén píngděng.
Everyone is equal before the law.
written
这份合同受法律保护。
Zhè fèn hétong shòu fǎlǜ bǎohù.
This contract is protected by law.
neutral
法规 refers to laws and regulations collectively, often administrative rules below the level of full statute. 法律 is the higher, formal category of state law. Officials cite 法律法规 together to cover both.
法令 is a decree or ordinance issued by authority. 法律 is enacted law with broader, lasting force. Use 法令 for specific government orders.
定律 is a scientific 'law' (万有引力定律 the law of gravity). 法律 is legal law. They both contain 律 but belong to entirely different domains.
法院 means 'court of law' (the institution). 法律 is the law itself. A 法院 applies 法律.
Acquire it by listening
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 法律 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.
