刑期 (xíng qī) literally combines 刑 (xíng), meaning 'punishment' or 'penal', and 期 (qī), meaning 'period' or 'term'. Together, it refers specifically to the length of time a person is legally required to serve in prison after being convicted of a crime. It is a formal, legal term used in court rulings, news reports, and official documents—not in casual conversation.

The word emphasizes duration rather than the act of imprisonment itself; for example, one might say '判处十年刑期' (sentenced to a ten-year prison term), where 刑期 specifies the length, not the imprisonment event. It is commonly modified by numerals and measure words like 年 (years), 个月 (months), or 天 (days), and often appears with verbs like 判处 (to sentence), 执行 (to serve), or 减刑 (to reduce the sentence). Unlike general terms for jail time, 刑期 carries precise juridical weight and implies judicial finality.