A young woman who killed a man after he attempted to rape her, has been sentenced to four years in jail.

The sentence was handed down by the Intermediate People's Court in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Sept 11.

The woman, surnamed Xuan, who is from outside Guangzhou, was approached by a man surnamed Yang at Guangzhou Railway Station after she failed to purchase a railway ticket to Xiamen in Fujian province in May 2011.

Xuan had no money for a place to stay and agreed to follow Yang to a house he rented. But once at the house Yang attempted to rape her, and Xuan defended herself with a dagger that was hung on a wall, stabbing Yang to death.

The judge said Xuan was initially acting in self-defense.

"But Xuan later committed the offence of intentional killing after she continued to stab Yang who had been seriously wounded and had fallen to the ground dying," the judge said.

Xuan's punishment was reduced because she confessed to her crime and showed repentance, the judge said.