About
The traditional character 獄, structured with the components 犬 (dog) and 言 (speech), originally denoted a lawsuit or legal dispute, a meaning inferred from the metaphorical contention evoked by these elements. Over centuries, its application shifted from the act of adjudication to the physical location where such proceedings occurred, eventually specializing to refer specifically to a prison or jail. The modern variant 狱 retains this conceptual framework with simplified components, using 犭 for the dog radical and 讠 for speech.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他在监狱里工作。
生活有时像地狱一样艰难。
这个冤狱终于被平反了。
狱卒负责看守犯人。
他因受贿罪而入狱。
那名犯人企图越狱但失败了。
经过十年狱中生活，他彻底改造了自己。
那次审判避免了冤狱，维护了司法公正。