noun
General term for a binding rule, law, or regulation. Often used in formal or legal contexts.
この国の法に従って行動しなければならない。
You must act in accordance with the laws of this country.
学校の法を破ると退学になることもある。
Breaking school rules can lead to expulsion.
noun
Refers to a standard, model, or pattern to be followed. Often used in abstract or philosophical contexts.
彼の生き方は多くの人の法となった。
His way of life became a model for many people.
この書は書道の法を示している。
This book shows the standards of calligraphy.
noun
Buddhist teachings; Buddhist doctrine
Specifically refers to the teachings or doctrine of Buddha. Used in Buddhist contexts.
法を説く僧の話に耳を傾けた。
I listened to the monk expounding the Buddhist teachings.
この経典には仏の法が記されている。
This sutra contains the teachings of Buddha.
noun
transverse measurement; measurement across
Rare technical term for a measurement taken across something, such as width or diameter. Mostly found in older or specialized texts.
古い建築書には柱の法が記されている。
Old architectural books record the transverse measurements of pillars.
noun
side-slope; slope
Engineering term for the slope of an embankment or cutting. Rare outside technical contexts.
土木工事では法面の安定が重要だ。
In civil engineering, the stability of side-slopes is important.
Rare kanji for model or pattern; more common in compounds like 模範.
法律 is the common modern word for 'law' or 'legislation'. 法 (のり) is more archaic or formal, often used in set phrases or literary contexts.
規則 refers to rules or regulations in a specific organization or system. 法 (のり) has a broader, more fundamental sense of law or principle.
模範 is the common word for 'model' or 'example'. 法 (のり) as 'model' is more abstract and less frequently used in modern Japanese.
The reading のり is native Japanese, while the kanji 法, 則, etc., were adopted from Chinese. The word originally meant a standard or rule, and its usage expanded to cover laws, models, and Buddhist teachings. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is related to the verb のる (to declare, to announce), suggesting an original sense of 'something proclaimed as a standard'.