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March 24, 2026
懲chéng(cheng2)
The character 懲 (chéng) means to discipline or punish someone for wrongdoing. It is often used in formal contexts, such as legal or educational settings, where the focus is on correcting behavior. This term conveys a sense of reprimanding and warning as a means to promote correct actions.
Strokes19Radical心Frequency#66983DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of discipline is often linked to Confucian values, which emphasize moral education and correction as vital for personal and societal improvement. This character is often seen in discussions about educational practices.
Memory Tip
Imagine a teacher (the character's radical '忄' relates to feelings or emotions) who feels sad when disciplining a student for bad behavior. The teacher’s frown mirrors the pronunciation 'chéng,' as they wish to change the student’s ways and help them learn from their mistakes.
Meanings of 懲
chéng(cheng2)
1to discipline, to punish, to reprimand, to warn
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 懲
懲Simplified
19Strokes
心Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 懲
Podcast: 懲
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AI Study Notes for 懲
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a teacher (the character's radical '忄' relates to feelings or emotions) who feels sad when disciplining a student for bad behavior. The teacher’s frown mirrors the pronunciation 'chéng,' as they wish to change the student’s ways and help them learn from their mistakes.
Usage Notes
This character is typically used in more formal contexts and may not be suitable for casual conversation. Common collocations include '懲罰' (to punish) and '懲戒' (to reprimand). Learners should be careful with the tone, as mispronouncing it can change its meaning.
HSK Study Tips
While 懲 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding its components can help with other characters involving punishment or discipline, such as 罚 (fá, to punish). Focus on recognizing how it combines with other characters to convey related meanings.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of discipline is often linked to Confucian values, which emphasize moral education and correction as vital for personal and societal improvement. This character is often seen in discussions about educational practices.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 懲 (chéng) with 惩 (chéng), which also means to punish but is more commonly used. A frequent error is saying '我懲他' instead of '我惩罚他' (I punish him), as 懲 may sound more formal and less natural.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 懲
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Cultural Notes for 懲
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of discipline is often linked to Confucian values, which emphasize moral education and correction as vital for personal and societal improvement. This character is often seen in discussions about educational practices.
Word Family of 懲
Words Containing This Character18
惩罚chéngfápenalty懲罰
严惩to punish severely嚴懲
惩治to punish懲治
惩处chéngchǔto punish懲處
奖惩rewards and penalties獎懲
惩chéngto punish懲
惩戒to discipline懲戒
惩罚性punitive懲罰性
惩办to punish (someone)懲辦
严惩不贷to punish severely (idiom)嚴懲不貸
惩前毖后lit. to punish those before to prevent those after (idiom); to criticize former mistakes firmly to prevent them happening again懲前毖後
惩恶扬善to uphold virtue and condemn evil (idiom)懲惡揚善
重惩to punish severely重懲
劝善惩恶you get what's coming to you勸善懲惡
惩一儆百fig. to make an example of sb懲一儆百
惩恶劝善to uphold virtue and condemn evil (idiom)懲惡勸善
小惩大诫lit. to punish a little to prevent a lot (idiom); to criticize former mistakes firmly to prevent large scale repetition小懲大誡
惩一警百fig. to make an example of sb懲一警百
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 惩罚 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 懲
While both involve punishment, 懲 emphasizes the disciplinary aspect, often aimed at correcting behavior, whereas 罚 typically refers to a fine or penalty.
It's best to avoid using 懲 in casual settings, as it has a formal tone and is primarily used in legal or educational contexts.
Make sure to use the second tone, which rises slightly, as mispronouncing it can lead to confusion with other characters.
