(shuō fǎ) - way of putting it, statement, version in Mandarin
shuōfǎTraditional: 說法
Translation
way of putting it, statement, version
Word origin
A compound of 说 (shuō, to say) and 法 (fǎ, method, way of doing something), so the way a thing is said. It follows the same pattern as 想法, a way of thinking.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 说 (shuō, to say) + 法 (fǎ, way of doing)
Stroke order
说
法
Examples
。
This is the first time I have heard it put that way.
。
There are several versions of what happened.
。
His account is not the same as yours.
。
Putting it another way might be more polite.
。
There is no basis for that claim.
说法 (shuō fǎ) is a wording, an account or a claim: the particular way somebody has chosen to put something. 换个说法 is to rephrase it, 这种说法 is that claim, and 有好几种说法 means the story is told several different ways.
It belongs to the small family built on 法 as method, alongside 想法 (a thought or opinion), 做法 (a way of doing something) and 看法 (a view). Learn the pattern and four common nouns arrive at once.
The trap is the English word saying. A proverb or a fixed saying is 谚语 or 俗话, never 说法. And when a Chinese speaker says 我要一个说法 they are not asking for a phrase, they are demanding an explanation and an apology, which is a much sharper sentence than it looks.
Where this fits
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说法: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "说法" (way of putting it, statement, version): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 50.