手法
shǒufǎ · HSK 5
technique
🖐️ 手 (hand) + 法 (method) = hand-method, i.e. technique or trick
Literally hand-method: the way a hand carries out a task. Extends from neutral technique or skill to sneaky maneuver or hanky-panky, depending on context.
手 — pictograph of a hand with five fingers
手 is a pictograph showing an open hand with fingers and a wrist. Early bronze and oracle bone forms clearly depict five splayed fingers, which simplified over time into the modern shape. It keeps its original meaning of 'hand' and also serves as a radical in many characters related to hand actions.
法 — water 氵 + go 去
Originally written 灋, combining the water radical 氵 (suggesting a level standard, like water finding its level), the mythical beast 廌 (which judged guilt), and 去 (to remove or banish). The 廌 was later dropped, leaving 法. The core meaning evolved from 'law' or 'standard' to also include 'method' and 'way of doing'.