杀 (shā): to kill; to murder

Meanings

1 to kill; to murder
2 to slaughter; to fight

Characters

杀

shā

to kill; to slaughter

Examples

不要杀害无辜的人。

Bùyào shāhài wúgū de rén.

Don't kill innocent people.

这个杀虫剂效果很好。

Zhège shāchóngjì xiàoguǒ hěn hǎo.

This insecticide is very effective.

他在比赛中杀入了决赛。

Tā zài bǐsài zhōng shā rù le juésài.

He fought his way into the finals.

Tips

usage

杀 has many compounds: 杀害 (to murder), 杀毒 (to disinfect/antivirus), 杀虫剂 (insecticide), 杀价 (to bargain down a price).

usage

In gaming slang, 杀 is commonly used for 'to kill' an opponent: 我杀了他 (I killed him).

Components

radical

木 mù

tree; wood (here: target)

Bottom 木-shape - the indexing radical, though historically not a real tree here. The original 殺 had a hand striking a creature; modern simplification reduced the lower portion to this tree-like silhouette. The radical assignment is graphic rather than semantic; the 'kill' meaning is carried by the cutting motion above, not by the wood.

semantic

乂 yì

scythe; cross-cut

Top forms a crossing cut-stroke - historically the simplified residue of 杀's traditional 殺, which had the cutting graph 乂 plus a hand striking. The X-shape gives the impression of slicing through. Together with the wood below it depicts a tool striking a target.