TongTong
Sign in

用刑 (yòng xíng) — to apply torture; to use corporal punishment; to put someone to torture

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning 'to apply torture or corporal punishment,' typically by an authority (police, court) against a suspect or prisoner. Pairs with the object 刑 'punishment/torture' rather than taking a person as direct object.

verb
to apply tortureto use corporal punishmentto put someone to torture

Examples

  • 用刑。
    Bù néng suí biàn duì fàn rén yòng xíng.
    You cannot casually torture prisoners.
  • 。
    Tā men duì tā yòng le zhòng xíng.
    They applied severe torture to him.
  • 用刑。
    Guò qù jǐng chá jīng cháng yòng xíng bī gòng.
    In the past, police often tortured to extract confessions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

用yònguse
刑xíngpunishment

用 means use, and 刑 means punishment, so together they mean apply punishment or torture.

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.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →

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
刀刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng刑xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刑 puts 刀 (knife) beside 井. The knife part shows the punishment idea, and 井 gives the sound.

Open 刑 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.