黥 (qíng) - Tattoo — specifically refers to the ancient punishment & also used for tattooing in general.

黥Tone 2

qíng ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

黥 · qíng

Tattoo — specifically refers to the ancient punishment of tattooing characters on a criminal's face;

also used for tattooing in general.

Tattoo — specifically refers to the ancient punishmentalso used for tattooing in general.

Usage highlights

Facial tattooing punishmentTattooed faceTattooing and amputationTattooing punishment systemTattooed criminalTattooed exile

Synonyms

  • 纹身— tattoo (modern term)
  • 刺青— tattoo (alternative modern term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He received the punishment of facial tattooing (黥面).
  • Tattooing was one of the five punishments in ancient China (五刑之一).
  • The criminal's face was marked with characters (脸上被刺字).

Collocations

  • Facial tattooing punishment(黥刑)
  • Tattooed face(黥面)
  • Tattooing and amputation(黥刖)
  • Tattooing punishment system(黥法)
  • Tattooed criminal(黥徒)
  • Tattooed exile(黥配)

Idioms

  • Tattooing the face and cutting off the nose(黥劓)
  • Tattooing punishment and banishment(黥流)
  • Tattooing and foot-amputation punishment(黥刖)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 黥 was one of the Five Punishments in ancient China, used to permanently mark criminals.
  • This punishment was considered particularly shameful as it permanently marked the offender's face.
  • The practice dates back to the Zhou Dynasty and continued through various dynasties.
  • In modern usage, the character is rarely used except in historical contexts.

FAQ