fá
punish; penalize; punishment; retribution
他因为迟到被罚款了。
tā yīnwèi chídào bèi fákuǎnle.
He was fined for being late.
这个学生因为考试作弊被罚了。
zhège xuésheng yīnwèi kǎoshì zuòbì bèi fále.
This student was punished for cheating on the exam.
如果你违反了交通规则，你将会被罚款。
rúguǒ nǐ wéifǎnle jiāotōng guīzé, nǐ jiānghuì bèi fákuǎn.
If you violate the traffic rules, you will be fined.
惩处 (chéngchǔ)
punish
处罚 (chǔfá)
punishment
奖 (jiǎng)
reward
赏 (shǎng)
reward
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The Chinese character 罚 (fá) for "punishment" is composed of two parts: the radical 灋 (shuǐ) on the left, which represents water, and the phonetic component 伐 (fá) on the right, which represents cutting or striking. The combination of these two components suggests the idea of using water to wash away or cleanse something, which is metaphorically extended to the concept of punishment or retribution. In ancient China, water was often used as a form of punishment, such as drowning or banishment to a waterlogged area. The character 罚 thus carries the sense of using water to cleanse or purify someone of their wrongdoings.
