"There are three English legal words "lawful, legal and legitimate" appearing in the English media when I listen to the English news. It seems to me that three of them are quite similar in meaning. I would like to learn the exact definition of them. Thank you."
Li Jian
Look at the following extracts from BBC reports and see if you can tell the difference between the words legal, lawful and legitimate.
His legal troubles have grown, and they have bled badly into his political life.
Land can be registered as a town or village green if it has been freely and openly used by local people for "lawful sports and pastimes" for 20 years or more.
"We take orders... we are not free to act as we want to, we answer to a legitimate government."
Join Yang Li for more examples from the reports by BBC correspondents and explanations.
If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can write to us or email: questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk
