宰 (zǎi): to slaughter

Meanings

1 to slaughter
2 to butcher
3 to govern; to manage
4 to rip off; to overcharge

Characters

宰

zǎi

to slaughter; to govern

Examples

农民在过年前宰了一头猪。

Nóngmín zài guònián qián zǎi le yì tóu zhū.

The farmer slaughtered a pig before Chinese New Year.

那家饭店太黑了，把我们宰了一顿。

Nà jiā fàndiàn tài hēi le, bǎ wǒmen zǎi le yí dùn.

That restaurant was a total rip-off — they really overcharged us.

Tips

usage

Colloquially, 宰 means to rip someone off or overcharge. 宰客 specifically means to gouge customers — tourist traps are routinely accused of 宰客.

Components

radical

宀 mián

roof (radical)

Top radical 宀 — a peaked roof with two short walls, the indexing radical for indoor activities and households. Marks 宰 as something happening inside a building or under household authority. Same radical in 家 (home), 室 (room), 安 (peace), 守 (guard), 官 (official).

semantic

辛 xīn

blade; bitterness

Lower 辛 — a tattooing knife or branding blade, the picture of pain and harsh punishment. Under the roof of 宀 it becomes 'the man wielding the knife inside the household' — both the butcher who slaughters and the steward who decides fates. Hence modern 宰 spans 'slaughter', 'rule, manage', and the slang 'rip off'.