型
xíng · HSK 4
type
🧱 型 = 刑 (xíng, punishment/form) + 土 (earth) — earthen mold
Phonetic 刑 gives the sound xíng; radical 土 (earth) points to clay molds used for casting. So 型 literally means a shaped earthen form: a mold, model, or type.
型 — earth 土 + 刑 (xíng, phonetic)
型 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 土 (earth) component points to its original meaning: a clay or earthen mold used for casting. The right side 刑 supplies the sound. From 'casting mold' it broadened to mean 'model, type, pattern' in modern usage.