The Meaning of hōsoku [法則] In Japanese

法則
ほうそく
Romaji: hōsoku N3

What does 法則 mean?

Translation and Meaning

law, rule, principle

Definition

法則 denotes a natural or general law or principle that governs patterns or regularities in nature, society, or a system; it is used to describe consistent relationships that can be observed, tested, and used to predict outcomes.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Natural law or universal principle that governs phenomena in nature or a system.
  • A rule, standard, or regularity used to predict or explain outcomes in a field such as physics, biology, sociology, or engineering.
  • A guiding principle or axiom used in theory or discussion, sometimes used in everyday language to indicate expected patterns.

Composition

  • 法: law, method, or principle; used in compounds to denote formal rules or statutes.
  • 則: rule, standard, or principle; together they express the concept of a governing rule or law.

Usage

Used in formal, scientific, and philosophical contexts to refer to invariant laws or principles. It is common in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics to describe regularities, as well as in social sciences to refer to established norms; in everyday language, it’s less common and often replaced by 規則 or ルール depending on nuance.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize 法 as a scale balancing 則; when law (法) governs a rule (則), you recall the idea of a natural or established law.

Variations

  • 原理 — principle (genri)
  • 規則 — rule/regulation (kisoku)
  • 自然法則 — natural law (shizen hōsoku)

Example Phrases

  • 私の食事の法則を今日も守る。
    Watashi no shokuji no hōsoku o kyō mo mamoru.
    I keep following my meal rules today as well.
    Lista:
    • 私の (watashi no) – my
    • 食事の (shokuji no) – meal’s
    • 法則を (hōsoku o) – rule
    • 今日も (kyō mo) – today as well
    • 守る (mamoru) – to keep
    The noun 「法則」 means a general rule; here it is the object of 守る and is modified by 食事の to form ‘the meal rules’.
法則