罚

罰
fá
#1,213 most
frequent character
punish, penalize, punishment
verb
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

罚 pairs 罰 without 言, meaning staunch or unyielding, with 讠 yán as the sound part; that sound link is not clear in modern Mandarin. It first meant to punish lightly, then broadened to penalize.

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

老师罚我做作业。
lǎoshī fá wǒ zuò zuòyè 。
The teacher punished me by making me do homework.
他因为打架而被罚。
tā yīnwèi dǎjià ér bèi fá 。
He was penalized for fighting.
罚款是第一步。
fákuǎn shì dì yībù 。
Fines are the first step.

Same Characters, Different Readings

罚fá
punish, penalize, punishment

Words with similar meanings

惩罚chéngfá
punish
This term is more formal and often used in legal contexts.
处罚chǔfá
penalize
This term is similar but can imply a more systematic approach to punishment.

Homophones

乏fá
short of, tired
伐fá
to cut down, to fell

Words Starting With 罚

罚款fá kuǎn
(impose a) fine; penalty; fine (monetary)

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.