法律
law
HSK level
- Pinyin
- fǎlǜ
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 17
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 条 / 部
- In episodes
- 2
Stroke order for 法律
法律 is written with 17 strokes (法: 8, 律: 9). The animation replays automatically.
What does 法律 mean?
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.
Hear 法律 in real episodes
法律 appears in 2 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
在这个电影里，她是一个学法律的人。
In that film, she was someone studying law.
A Jury Made Her Their Foreman Because "You Went to Law School" — She Had Only Played a Lawyer in Legally Blonde, and Never Finished College
这一次的决定，不是法律。
This decision is not a law.
The UN Voted to Change the World Map — Because It Has Been Shrinking Africa for 450 Years
Example sentences
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
Common phrases with 法律
Synonyms
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.
Don't confuse 法律 with
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.
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 法律 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
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