Definition
刑 is a bound form (b.f.) meaning punishment, sentence, or torture. It cannot stand alone in modern Chinese—it must combine with another morpheme to form a word. Common compounds include 死刑 (death penalty), 判刑 (to sentence), 刑法 (criminal law), and 刑罚 (penalty). The concept covers both judicial punishment and, historically, physical torture.
b.f.
punishmentsentence (legal penalty)torturecorporal punishment
Examples
- 。Zhège guójiā yǐjīng fèichú le sǐ xíng.This country has already abolished the death penalty.
- 。Fǎguān pàn xíng shí nián.The judge sentenced him to ten years in prison.
- ，。Tā xué guò xíng fǎ, suǒyǐ duì fǎlǜ hěn liǎojiě.He studied criminal law, so he knows a lot about the legal system.
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