刑: the kanji for punishment

刑 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means punishment. Below are its readings, 3 common words and example sentences, all with audio.

punishmentMeaning

ケイOn reading

—Kun reading

6Strokes

Stroke order

刑 is written in 6 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.

Words by reading

刑 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 3 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).

ケイ (kei)

On reading.

Word	Meaning
刑罰けいばつ · keibatsu	punishment
刑法けいほう · keihō	criminal law
刑事けいじ · keiji	detective; criminal

Example sentences for work and daily life

刑事が事件を捜査している。Keiji ga jiken o sōsa shite iru.Detectives are investigating the case.
犯人に重い刑が言い渡された。Hannin ni omoi kei ga iiwatasareta.A heavy sentence was handed down to the criminal.
大学で刑法を学んでいる。Daigaku de keihō o manande iru.I'm studying criminal law at university.
法律で刑罰が定められている。Hōritsu de keibatsu ga sadamerarete iru.Punishments are set by law.
刑事ドラマを毎週見ている。Keiji dorama o maishū mite iru.I watch a detective drama every week.

Questions about 刑

How many strokes does 刑 have?

刑 is written in 6 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.

What are the readings of 刑?

The on readings are kei (ケイ). 刑 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.

What JLPT level is 刑?

N1. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.

About the JLPT level

The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N1 is designed to match the former Level 1.