懲 — “Penal / Chastise / Punish / Discipline” in Japanese

Master (高手)ちょう, こ

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Penal / Chastise / Punish / Discipline” in Japanese is 懲, read chou, ko (ちょう, こ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 懲罰 (punishment).

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What does 懲 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	懲
Meaning	Penal / Chastise / Punish / Discipline
Readings	ちょう, こ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	懲罰 (punishment)

How to read 懲

懲 is read chou (ちょう) or ko (こ) depending on the word.

Words with 懲

懲罰

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Kanji read the same way as 懲

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28