刹

剎

chà, shā

刂 + 杀

Definitions

shā (verb) to brake

chà (noun) Buddhist temple; monastery

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 杀 represents the sound. Simplified form of 剎.

Semantic: 刂 Phonetic: 杀

About

刹, the simplified form of 剎, is a phonosemantic compound: the radical 刂 (knife) gives the meaning, while 杀 (which on its own means "kill" or "reduce") provides the sound. This character has two unrelated uses. In Buddhist contexts, it transcribes the Sanskrit word kṣetra, referring to a temple, monastery, or a fleeting moment, a legacy of Buddhist vocabulary in Chinese. Elsewhere, it serves as a verb meaning to brake or halt a moving vehicle or machine, a sense likely derived from the knife radical's suggestion of cutting off motion.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他刹住了车。

Tā shā zhù le chē.

He braked the car.

这辆车的刹车很灵敏。

Zhè liàng chē de shāchē hěn língmǐn.

This car's brakes are very responsive.

司机突然刹车，避免了事故。

Sījī tūrán shāchē, bìmiǎn le shìgù.

The driver braked suddenly, avoiding an accident.

在刹那之间，他做出了决定。

Zài chànà zhī jiān, tā zuò chū le juédìng.

In an instant, he made the decision.

新车配备了先进的刹车系统。

Xīn chē pèibèi le xiānjìn de shāchē xìtǒng.

The new car is equipped with an advanced braking system.

他试图刹住这股不良风气。

Tā shìtú shā zhù zhè gǔ bùliáng fēngqì.

He tried to put a stop to this unhealthy trend.

思想的火花在刹那中被捕捉。

Sīxiǎng de huǒhuā zài chànà zhōng bèi bǔzhuō.

The spark of thought was captured in an instant.

这部小说的高潮在结尾处戛然而刹，令人回味。

Zhè bù xiǎoshuō de gāocháo zài jiéwěi chù jiárán ér shā, lìng rén huíwèi.

The climax of this novel comes to an abrupt stop at the end, leaving much to ponder.

Related Characters

Component: 刂

Component: 杀

刹