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效法

Mandarin · pinyin xiào fǎ

to imitate
to follow the example of

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Characters in this entry

效: xiào · result, effect; effectiveness
法: fǎ · law, rule, regulation, statute; France, French

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Mandarin tones

4–3 · xiao4 fa3

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

haau6 faat3

Cantonese word readings for 效法. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to follow the example of; to take as one's model; to pattern after; to imitate

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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