処罰

• Reading: しょばつ
• Romaji: shobatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 処 (sho) — deal with, dispose, manage; 罰 (batsu) — punishment, penalty
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.ba.tsɯ/

Meaning

Punishment; penalty; penalisation. The act of imposing a penalty on someone for a crime or wrongdoing.

A noun and suru-verb referring to the imposition of punishment for crimes or rule violations. More formal and legal than 罰 (batsu, punishment) alone. Commonly used in legal, governmental, and organisational contexts. Key collocations include 厳しい処罰 (kibishii shobatsu, severe punishment) and 処罰を受ける (shobatsu wo ukeru, to receive punishment). Often appears in discussions about criminal justice and workplace discipline.

Examples

1. 法律に違反した者は厳しく処罰される。 Those who violate the law will be severely punished.
2. 不正行為に対する処罰が強化された。 Penalties for misconduct have been strengthened.
3. 処罰を恐れて犯行を自首した。 Fearing punishment, the perpetrator turned themselves in.

Usage Guide

Context: law, criminal justice, workplace

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 処 (sho, deal with/dispose) + 罰 (batsu, punishment/penalty). Literally 'to deal out punishment' — administering a penalty for wrongdoing.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal