Meaning
非法 means 'illegal' or 'unlawful,' describing actions, activities, or situations that violate the law. It combines 非 (not/non-) with 法 (law), literally meaning 'not according to law.' This term is commonly used in legal, news, and formal contexts to describe anything prohibited by legal statute.
Usage
非法 is a formal term predominantly used in written language, news reports, legal documents, and official contexts. It typically appears before nouns to modify them (非法活动 'illegal activities') or as a predicate adjective. Native speakers consider it more serious and formal than colloquial expressions for wrongdoing.
Examples
- 01警方查获了一批非法武器。.The police seized a batch of illegal weapons.
- 02他因非法经营被判刑两年。.He was sentenced to two years in prison for illegal business operations.
Characters
Common collocations
- 非法活动illegal activities
- 非法移民illegal immigrant
- 非法经营illegal business operations
- 非法收入illegal income
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 非 (negation prefix) with 法 (law), creating a straightforward compound meaning 'against the law.' This construction pattern is common in modern Chinese legal and administrative vocabulary.