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有期徒刑 (yǒu qī tú xíng) — fixed-term imprisonment

Definition

A fixed-term prison sentence with a set number of years (in Chinese law, typically 6 months to 25 years). Contrast with 无期徒刑 (life imprisonment), which has no fixed end date, and 死刑 (death penalty).

noun
fixed-term imprisonment

Examples

  • 有期徒刑。
    Tā bèi pàn chǔ le wǔ nián yǒu qī tú xíng.
    He was sentenced to five years of fixed-term imprisonment.
  • 有期徒刑。
    yǒu qī tú xíng Shì xíng fǎ zhōng cháng jiàn de xíng fá.
    Fixed-term imprisonment is a common punishment in criminal law.
  • 有期徒刑，。
    Tā zài fú yǒu qī tú xíng qī jiān biǎo xiàn liáng hǎo, tí qián chū yù le.
    He behaved well during his fixed-term imprisonment and was released early.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

有期having a term
有yǒuhave期qīterm
动宾Verb + object
徒刑imprisonment
徒túprison刑xíngpunishment
偏正Modifier + head

有期, having a term, and 徒刑, imprisonment, together mean a sentence with a set length.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
土
土tǔ徒tú
Same sound today

徒 originally paired 辵, a walking sign, with 土 to show its sound. The shape later changed into 彳 and 走.

Open 徒 →

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 & PoliceLaw & Justice

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