Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 懲罰 / 惩罚 | chéngfá |
| 處罰 / 处罚 | chǔfá |
| 制裁 | zhìcái |
To punish someone in Mandarin, you must choose between terms for moral discipline, administrative penalties or large-scale sanctions. 懲罰 / 惩罚 is a common, straightforward term for general punishment. 處罰 / 处罚 is used when an authority or institution imposes a penalty, such as a fine. 制裁 refers to the act of imposing sanctions or much heavier political or economic penalties.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the nature of the punishment: 懲罰 / 惩罚 (chéngfá) is used for general, moral, educational or disciplinary contexts, such as a parent punishing a child. 處罰 / 处罚 (chǔfá) is used for administrative, legal or official punishments, such as a fine. 制裁 (zhìcái) focuses on formal sanctions and is used in authoritative settings like international relations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the traditional character 處罰 is used instead of the simplified 处罚 used in Mainland China.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the passive sense 'to be punished', you often use the structure 受到惩罚 (shòudào chéngfá), which literally means 'to receive punishment'.
How do you pronounce it?
chéngfá
Did you know?
- While 制裁 (zhìcái) is now used for international sanctions, the word 裁 originally referred to the cutting of cloth to make a garment.
- Traditional Chinese views of punishment were historically tied to 'rituals' and 'etiquette'. Breaking social rites was not just a faux pas but a punishable offense against the cosmic order.
- The word 懲罰 (chéngfá) contains the character 懲, which anciently relates to the concept of 'reflecting' or 'learning a lesson' through the experience of a mistake.
Examples in context
- 老师惩罚了他因为逃课。The teacher punished him because he skipped class.
- 他因为违反规定而受到了处罚。He was punished because he violated the rules.
- 联合国对该国实施了制裁。The United Nations imposed sanctions on that country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “punish” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
