About
The character "刹" presents a duality in meaning, originating from its traditional form "剎", which combines the phonetic component "殺" (shā, meaning "to kill" or "to cut") with the radical "刂" (knife). This structure suggests an original association with cutting or severing, an idea that was extended through its use as a phonetic loan in Buddhist translations to represent the Sanskrit "kṣetra", meaning "land" or "field", and specifically coming to denote the sacred ground of a temple or monastery. Over time, this borrowed meaning of "temple" or "monastery" became primary, as seen in terms like "古刹" (ancient temple). Later, the character was repurposed again in modern scientific terminology to transcribe the foreign word "chet" or "shā" as a unit for acceleration, leading to its contemporary and now more common meaning "to brake" in the compound "刹车" (shāchē), where the sense of cutting or stopping motion aligns conceptually with its ancient etymological roots.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他刹住了车。
这辆车的刹车很灵敏。
司机突然刹车，避免了事故。
在刹那之间，他做出了决定。
新车配备了先进的刹车系统。
他试图刹住这股不良风气。
思想的火花在刹那中被捕捉。
这部小说的高潮在结尾处戛然而刹，令人回味。