惩 (chéng) — (bound form) to punish; to penalize
Definition
惩 (chéng) is a bound form meaning 'to punish'; it only appears in set compounds like 惩罚, 惩处, and 惩治, never as a standalone verb. Use 处罚 or 惩罚 for general 'punish' — 惩 emphasizes punitive force or deterrence.
bound form
to punishto penalize
Examples
- 。Tā yīn tān wū shòu dào le fǎ lǜ de chéng fá.He was punished by law for corruption.
- 。Gōng sī duì wéi guī xíng wéi jìn xíng le yán lì de chéng chǔ.The company severely penalized the violation.
- 。Zhè zhǒng chéng zhì shǒu duàn yǒu xiào è zhì le fàn zuì.This punitive measure effectively curbed crime.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 懲; 惩 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 懲 pairs 心 (heart) with 徵 as its sound part; the simplified 惩 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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