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惩罚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
惩罚
chéngfá
penalty
HSK 6, vn, 21 strokes, rank #1945, Hard
惩罚
chéngfá
punishment
HSK 6, vn, 21 strokes, rank #1945, Hard
惩罚
chéngfá
to punish
HSK 6, vn, 21 strokes, rank #1945, Hard
chéngfá(cheng2fa2)cheng fa T2
1penalty
2punishment
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March 24, 2026
惩罚(懲罰)chéngfá(cheng2fa2)
惩罚 (chéng fá) refers to the act of imposing a penalty for wrongdoing or misconduct. It is commonly used in legal, educational, and disciplinary contexts to denote the consequences faced by individuals for their actions, emphasizing correction and deterrence.
Strokes21Frequency#1945DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 惩罚 is often tied to Confucian values of maintaining social order and harmony, where punishment serves a corrective, rather than solely punitive, function.
Memory tip
Imagine a judge (the character 惩) wielding a gavel (the radical '刑' which denotes punishment) while enforcing a penalty (罚). The sound 'chéng' can remind you of 'change', as punishment often aims to change behavior.
Meanings of 惩罚
chéngfá(cheng2fa2)
1penalty
2punishment
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 惩罚
惩罚Simplified
懲罰Traditional
21Strokes
—Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#1945Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2
Podcast: 惩罚
Podcast: 惩罚
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AI study notes for 惩罚
Quick Contrast
惩戒 (chéngjiè) — use 惩罚 for punitive measures, while 惩戒 implies a broader disciplinary correction, often with an educational focus.
Usage Notes
Be mindful that 惩罚 is generally used in formal contexts, such as legal or official discussions. A common mistake is to confuse it with 处罚 (chǔ fá), which can imply a more administrative form of punishment. Collocations include 惩罚措施 (punitive measures) and 惩罚决定 (punishment decision).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 6 vocabulary word, 惩罚 connects well with other legal and ethical terms like 责任 (responsibility) and 违规 (violation). Focus on using it in sentences that discuss accountability and consequences.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 惩罚 in contexts where 处罚 would be more appropriate, leading to awkward sentences. For example, saying '我对他的错误进行了惩罚' (incorrect) should be '我对他的错误进行了处罚' (correct).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 惩罚
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惩罚 (chéng fá) refers to the act of imposing a penalty for wrongdoing or misconduct. It is commonly used in legal, educational, and disciplinary contexts to denote the consequences faced by individuals for their actions, emphasizing correction and deterrence.
When to use 惩罚
Be mindful that 惩罚 is generally used in formal contexts, such as legal or official discussions. A common mistake is to confuse it with 处罚 (chǔ fá), which can imply a more administrative form of punishment. Collocations include 惩罚措施 (punitive measures) and 惩罚决定 (punishment decision).
惩罚 or something close to it
惩戒 (chéngjiè) — use 惩罚 for punitive measures, while 惩戒 implies a broader disciplinary correction, often with an educational focus.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 惩罚 in contexts where 处罚 would be more appropriate, leading to awkward sentences. For example, saying '我对他的错误进行了惩罚' (incorrect) should be '我对他的错误进行了处罚' (correct).
Write 惩罚
惩
罚
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Grammar patterns of 惩罚
惩罚 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
他们呼吁当局将蓄奴定为一种应该受到____的罪行。
They called on the authorities to make slavery a punishable offence.
Example sentences for 惩罚 (12)
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1
他们呼吁当局将蓄奴定为一种应该受到惩罚的罪行。
tāmen hūyù dāng jú jiāng xù nú dìng wèi yī zhǒng yīnggāi shòudào chéngfá de zuì xíng。
They called on the authorities to make slavery a punishable offence.
2
那些拒不悔改的人，他说，将会受到惩罚。
nàxiē jù bù huǐ gǎi de rén， tā shuō， jiāng huì shòudào chéngfá。
Those who refuse to repent, he said, will be punished.
3
在书的结尾，那个孩子的真实身份大白于世，坏人则得到了应有的惩罚。
zài shū de jiéwěi， nàge háizi de zhēnshí shēnfèn dà bái yú shì， huàirén zé dédào le yìng yǒude chéngfá。
At the end of the book the child's true identity is discovered, and the bad guys get their just deserts.
