hé fǎ
legal; legitimate; rightful
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这个行为是合法的吗？
Zhège xíngwéi shì héfǎ de ma?
Is this behavior legal?
我们必须遵守法律，因为它是合法的。
Wǒmen bìxū cúnzhōu fǎlǜ, yīnwèi tā shì héfǎ de.
We must obey the law because it is legal.
这个文件是合法的吗？
Zhège wénjiàn shì héfǎ de ma?
Is this document legal?
正当 (zhèngdàng)
legitimate
合法性 (héfǎxìng)
legality
The Chinese word 合法 (héfǎ) is composed of two characters: 合 (hé) and 法 (fǎ). The character 合 means "to combine, to unite, or to be in harmony," while the character 法 means "law, rule, or method." Together, the two characters 合法 mean "legal, lawful, or in accordance with the law."The word 合法 is first recorded in the Chinese dictionary Shuowen Jiezi, which was compiled in the 2nd century AD. In this dictionary, the word 合法 is defined as "to be in accordance with the law." The word 合法 is also used in the Chinese legal code, which was first compiled in the 7th century AD. In this code, the word 合法 is used to describe actions that are in accordance with the law and to distinguish them from actions that are illegal.The word 合法 is still used in Chinese today to mean "legal, lawful, or in accordance with the law." It is a common word that is used in a variety of contexts, including legal documents, news articles, and everyday conversation.
