法制
fǎ zhì · HSK 5
legal system and institutions
⚖️ 法 = law/France + 制 = system/make; legal system, or made-in-France
法 carries both senses: the legal code and the country France (法国). 制 means system or to manufacture. Together: the institutions of law, or a label meaning produced in France.
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'.
制 — knife 刂 + 未 (tree branches)
Originally depicted a knife 刂 cutting branches from a tree, showing the act of trimming or shaping wood. From this concrete sense of cutting to size came the meanings 'to make,' 'to manufacture,' and by extension 'to control' or 'regulate' — shaping things to a desired form.