懲役

• Reading: ちょうえき
• Romaji: choueki
• Kanji breakdown: 懲 (chou) — punish, discipline; 役 (eki) — service, duty, labour
• Pronunciation: /tɕoː.e.ki/

Meaning

Penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labour. A prison sentence involving compulsory work.

A legal term for a type of imprisonment in Japan where the convicted person must perform labour. Distinguished from 禁錮 (kinko, imprisonment without forced labour). Commonly seen in news reports about criminal sentencing. Appears in phrases like 懲役三年 (three years imprisonment) and 懲役刑 (prison sentence).

Examples

1. 被告は懲役五年の判決を受けた。 The defendant was sentenced to five years in prison.
2. 詐欺罪で懲役三年、執行猶予付きとなった。 He received a three-year prison sentence for fraud, with a suspended sentence.
3. 懲役刑を終えた後、社会復帰を目指している。 After finishing his prison sentence, he is working toward reintegrating into society.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, news, criminal justice, courts

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 懲 (chou, to punish/discipline) + 役 (eki, service/labour). Literally 'punitive service,' referring to forced labour as a form of criminal punishment.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal