Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 刑

Level:N1 Low
Strokes:6
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily conveys the meaning of "punishment," "penalty," or "judgment." It suggests a consequence imposed for wrongdoing or a legal sentence. It implies a sense of legal justice and accountability.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ケイ (kei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, or rarely used.

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 死刑 Translation: Death penalty ⚫︎ 刑罰 Translation: Punishment; penalty ⚫︎ 刑事事件 Translation: Criminal case

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is a radical (the part that gives a character's meaning), which is (りっとう, rittou), a variant of (katana, sword) implying a connection with a sharp weapon and cutting. The right side is , which acts as the phonetic component, indicating the pronunciation. Therefore, this kanji originally depicted the usage of weapons for punishment, and was later simplified to the meaning of "punishment".

Menus