刑 (xíng) is a Chinese character meaning “punishment”. It is written from 开 (to open) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “punishment”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
开 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形 IDS 拆分 ⿰开刂，笔画数与 hanzi-writer-data 核验一致（4+2=6）
Memory aid
开 "open" with a knife (刂) standing at its right. Picture a case being opened and the blade deciding the penalty — that is 刑, punishment.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 刑法xíng fǎcriminal law刑 = xíng
- 死刑sǐ xíngthe death penalty刑 = xíng
Go deeper
All readings
punishment
punishment; penalty imposed by law
依照法律对犯罪的人所作的处罚。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刑法xíng fǎcriminal law刑 = xíng
- 死刑sǐ xíngthe death penalty刑 = xíng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刑 mean?
刑 (xíng) means punishment; penalty imposed by law.
How do you pronounce 刑?
It is pronounced xíng.
What parts is 刑 made of?
开 (to open) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形 IDS 拆分 ⿰开刂，笔画数与 hanzi-writer-data 核验一致（4+2=6）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刑 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刑?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刑?
Common ones are 刑法 and 死刑. The reading of 刑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.