How to Write 刑 (xíng) — Meaning “punishment”

Picture a prison door that is "opened" (开) by a knife (刂) to let a guard enter and punish the prisoner. The knife represents the harshness of the punishment, and the door opening reminds you of the sound "xíng."

Write the left part 开 first: horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, vertical (4 strokes), then the right radical 刂: vertical, vertical hook (2 strokes). A common mistake is to write the left part as 井 (well) with two verticals instead of one vertical and a left-falling stroke.

The left part differs: 刑 has 开 (open), 刈 has 乂 (cross), and 刊 has 干 (dry). Their meanings are also distinct: 刑 means punishment, 刈 means to mow or cut grass, and 刊 means to carve or publish. Visually, remember 刑's left side looks like a door opening.

刑 is a formal term for punishment in legal settings, appearing in words like 刑法 (criminal law), 判刑 (to sentence), and 死刑 (death penalty). It carries a serious, official tone and is rarely used in casual conversation, but it is common in news and legal documents.

Common words containing 刑 include: 刑法 (xíng fǎ) — criminal law; 判刑 (pàn xíng) — sentence / condemn; 死刑 (sǐ xíng) — Death penalty.