杀生

殺生

shāshēng

verb #23,126

Meanings

1 to kill a living creature
2 to take life
3 to slaughter

Characters

to kill; to slaughter

life; living creature; to be born

Examples

佛教戒律禁止杀生。

Fójiào jièlǜ jìnzhǐ shāshēng.

Buddhist precepts prohibit taking the life of living creatures.

他不愿意杀生，选择了素食。

Tā bú yuànyì shāshēng, xuǎnzé le sùshí.

He was unwilling to kill living creatures and chose to be vegetarian.

在野外，猎人杀生以求温饱。

Zài yěwài, lièrén shāshēng yǐ qiú wēnbǎo.

In the wilderness, hunters kill animals to survive.

Tips

culture

杀生 is a key concept in Buddhism. The first precept (第一戒) is 不杀生 — not to kill living beings. This encompasses all sentient life, not just humans, and influences vegetarian practices among Chinese Buddhists.

Stroke Order

杀 shā

生 shēng