刑法

• Pinyin: xíng fǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 刑 = 开 + 刂 (knife radical; punishment); 法 = 氵 + 去 (water + go; law/method)

Meaning

Criminal law; penal code. The body of law dealing with crime and punishment.

A formal legal term referring to criminal law as a legal discipline or statutory code. In China, 中华人民共和国刑法 is the primary criminal code. Contrasts with 民法 (civil law).

Examples

1. 根据刑法规定，故意杀人罪最高可判处死刑。 Under the criminal law, intentional homicide can be punished by death in the most severe cases.
2. 法学院的学生必须系统学习刑法，掌握犯罪构成要件的理论框架。 Law students must study criminal law systematically and master the theoretical framework of what constitutes a crime.
3. 此次刑法修正案对网络诈骗行为设定了更严厉的处罚标准。 This amendment to the criminal law sets stricter punishment standards for online fraud.

Usage Guide

Context: law, legal studies, government

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 检察官依据刑法对被告提起公诉。(The prosecutor filed charges against the defendant based on criminal law.)
• 修订刑法是完善法治体系的重要组成部分。(Revising the criminal law is an important component of improving the rule of law system.)

Don't Say

• 刑法管民事纠纷 — 刑法 only governs criminal offences; civil disputes fall under 民法; confusing the two is a basic legal error

Origin & History

刑 (punishment/penalty) + 法 (law)

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal