死缓 (sǐ huǎn) — death sentence with a two-year reprieve (a unique Chinese legal penalty)

Definition

A death sentence suspended for two years, unique to Chinese criminal law. If the convict commits no further crime during that period, the sentence is typically commuted to life imprisonment.

noun
death sentence with a two-year reprieve (a unique Chinese legal penalty)

Examples

  • 死缓，。
    Fǎ yuàn pàn chǔ tā sǐ huǎn, huǎn qī liǎng nián zhí xíng.
    The court sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve.
  • 死缓，，。
    Zài sǐ huǎn qī jiān, tā méi yǒu zài fàn zuì, suǒ yǐ gǎi pàn wèi wú qī tú xíng.
    During the reprieve period, he committed no further crimes, so his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
  • 死缓。
    sǐ huǎn Zhì dù shì zhōng guó xíng fǎ de yí gè tè diǎn.
    The system of death sentence with a reprieve is a feature of Chinese criminal law.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

死sǐdeath sentence
缓huǎnsuspended

死, a death sentence, and 缓, suspended, give a death sentence that is suspended.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緩; 缓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
爰
爰yuán緩huǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緩 pairs 糸 (silk) with 爰, which gives the sound; the simplified 缓 is a later shorthand.

Open 缓 →

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