法
ほう · hou · JLPT N3 · noun
act
⚖️📜 法 = water 氵 + go 去: law flows the same way for everyone
Water finds a level surface, which made it an old symbol of fairness. ほう sounds like how: an Act tells you how things must be done. As a suffix it names a statute, e.g. 著作権法 Copyright Act.
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'.