About
The character 刑 is a phono-semantic compound. Its right-side radical 刂 (dāo, knife) provides the semantic category, connecting it to cutting, weapons, or severing. The left component 开 (kāi, to open) serves as the phonetic element. This combination of a blade's imagery with its phonetic counterpart forms the basis for its meanings: penal law, criminal punishment, torture, and the execution of judicial sentences. These definitions reflect the historical context where legal punishments often involved physical mutilation or the use of bladed instruments.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
刑法很重要。
刑罚必须公正。
法官宣布了刑罚。
这是一起刑事案件。
如果犯罪就要接受刑罚。
他的刑期是三年。
严酷的刑罚不能杜绝犯罪。
现代刑法强调预防和改造。