pàn

(bound form) to differentiate; to distinguish

(bound form) clearly (different); to judge; to decide; to grade; (of a judge) to sentence

half (半) + knife (刂) = judge by cutting to a decision

The knife radical does the real semantic work: a blade cuts things apart, making distinctions clear and decisive. 半 mainly contributes the pàn sound.

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Knife (variant of 刀)Semantic
HalfPhonetic

老师正在学生的作业。

lǎo shī zhèng zài pàn xué sheng de zuò yè。

The teacher is grading the students' homework.

法官他三年有期徒刑。

fǎ guān pàn tā sān nián yǒu qī tú xíng。

The judge sentenced him to three years in prison.

Words with 判

判令

pàn lìng

decree

通判

tōng pàn

local magistrate

重判

zhòng pàn

major punishment (law)

预判

yù pàn

to predict; to anticipate

主裁判

zhǔ cái pàn

(sports) referee; umpire

五鬼闹判

wǔ guǐ nào pàn

Five ghosts mock the judge, or Five ghosts resist judgment (title of folk opera, idiom); important personage mobbed by a crowd of ne'er-do-wells

公判

gōng pàn

public opinion

公平审判权

gōng píng shěn pàn quán

the right to a fair trial

刑事审判庭

xíng shì shěn pàn tíng

criminal court

判例法

pàn lì fǎ

case law

判刑

pàn xíng

to sentence (to prison etc)

判例

pàn lì

judicial precedent

More characters with 半