非法
fēifǎ · HSK 7
illegal
🚫 非 (not) + 法 (law) = not-law, illegal
The character 非 means not or non-, and 法 means law or method. Together they literally spell out not-lawful. The pronunciation fēifǎ even echoes fee-fine, the costs of breaking the law.
非 — two opposing wings 羽-like form
Originally a pictograph showing two wings spread in opposite directions, symbolizing things facing away from each other. From this 'opposition' image came the meaning 'not' or 'wrong.' It is also used as a phonetic component in many characters like 排, 悲, and 罪.
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'.