违法
wéifǎ · HSK 5
illegal
🚫⚖️ 违 (violate) + 法 (law) = break the law
违 means to violate or go against; 法 means law or method. Together they literally spell out breaking the law. The 辶 radical in 违 hints at movement away from the right path.
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'.