制裁 (zhìcái)

制裁 refers to official coercive measures -- typically economic, political, or legal -- imposed by a state, organization, or authority to punish violations and compel compliance.

Meanings

[noun] sanction, punitive measure
[verb] to sanction, to impose penalties on, to punish

Example Sentences

联合国安理会通过决议，对该国实施经济制裁。 Liánhéguó ān lǐ huì tōngguò juéyì, duì gāi guó shíshī jīngjì zhìcái. The UN Security Council passed a resolution to impose economic sanctions on the country.

违反国际法的行为必须受到相应的法律制裁。 Wéifǎn guójì fǎ de xíngwéi bìxū shòudào xiāngyìng de fǎlǜ zhìcái. Actions that violate international law must receive corresponding legal sanctions.

制裁措施是否有效，取决于国际社会的团结程度。 Zhìcái cuòshī shìfǒu yǒuxiào, qǔjué yú guójì shèhuì de tuánjié chéngdù. Whether sanction measures are effective depends on the degree of international solidarity.

该企业因违规排放被环保部门制裁，处以重罚。 Gāi qǐyè yīn wéiguī páifàng bèi huánbǎo bùmén zhìcái, chǔ yǐ zhòng fá. The enterprise was sanctioned by the environmental department for illegal emissions and heavily fined.

面对制裁压力，该国宣布退出相关国际协议。 Miànduì zhìcái yālì, gāi guó xuānbù tuìchū xiāngguān guójì xiéyì. Facing sanction pressure, the country announced its withdrawal from the relevant international agreements.

单边制裁与多边制裁在国际法上的合法性存在争议。 Dānbiān zhìcái yǔ duōbiān zhìcái zài guójì fǎ shàng de héfǎxìng cúnzài zhēngyì. The legality under international law of unilateral versus multilateral sanctions is disputed.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
经济制裁	economic sanction
实施制裁	to impose sanctions
解除制裁	to lift sanctions
制裁措施	sanction measures
单边制裁	unilateral sanction
法律制裁	legal sanction

Usage Notes

制裁 spans both legal and geopolitical contexts. In domestic law, 制裁 refers to official punishment for violations. In international relations, it almost exclusively refers to economic or political sanctions imposed by one state or organization on another. The phrase 经济制裁 (economic sanctions) is among the most common terms in Chinese international news coverage.

制裁 is stronger and more official than 惩罚 (chéngfá, to punish), which can be used in everyday contexts. 制裁 always implies an official, institutional authority imposing the penalty. 受到制裁 (to be subjected to sanctions/punishment) is the standard passive construction.

Memory Hook

制 means "to control/regulate" and 裁 means "to cut/decide" -- 制裁 is a decisive official cut, the authority's blade that comes down to check and penalize those who break the rules.