方式
ほうしき · houshiki · JLPT N1 · noun
method
🧩 方 (way, square) + 式 (formula, style) = a set way of doing or a set form
方式 pairs 方 (direction, method) with 式 (formula, pattern). Think of a form or a method as a fixed pattern you follow: a 'houshiki' is the shape a thing takes or the way it's done.
方 — pictograph of a plow or two boats joined side by side
方 originated as a pictograph, traditionally interpreted as a plow handle or two boats lashed together. From the idea of paired boats it extended to mean 'side by side,' then 'square,' 'direction,' and 'region.' It was later borrowed for the abstract sense of 'method' or 'way.'
式 — 工 (work) + 弋 (phonetic)
式 is a phono-semantic compound: 工 ('work, craft') gives the meaning of a tool, rule, or method, while 弋 supplies the sound. It originally referred to a standard pattern or model used in craftsmanship, then broadened to mean 'style, form, ceremony, or formula.'