宰 meaning and stroke order
To slaughter; to butcher; to kill (animals etc); (coll.) to fleece; to rip off; to overcharge; (bound form) to govern; to rule
How to write 宰, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 宰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to slaughter; to butcher; to kill (animals etc)
- (coll.) to fleece; to rip off; to overcharge
- (bound form) to govern; to rule
- (bound form) (a title for certain government officials in ancient China)
How 宰 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A barracks 宀 where slaves 辛 live.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 宰
Under the roof 宀 live slaves 辛, and the person who rules that house decides their fate. So 宰 (zǎi) means both to govern and, more grimly, to slaughter.
In modern speech 宰 often means to kill an animal for food, as in 宰杀 (zǎishā), or casually to overcharge someone. The ruling sense survives mainly in words like 主宰 (zhǔzǎi) and 宰相 (zǎixiàng). Example: 这家店太宰人了。(Zhè jiā diàn tài zǎi rén le.) This shop really rips people off.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 宰 with 辛 (xīn, bitter) or with 幸 (xìng, fortunate), which look similar to the bottom part. Remember that 宰 always has the roof 宀 on top and is read in the third tone, zǎi.
Common words with 宰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
宰 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 宰
Learning 宰 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 宰
How many strokes are in 宰?
宰 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 宰 mean?
宰 (zǎi) means to slaughter; to butcher; to kill (animals etc); (coll.) to fleece; to rip off; to overcharge; (bound form) to govern; to rule. A common word with it is 主宰 (zhǔzǎi), meaning "to dominate; to rule".
How do you pronounce 宰?
宰 is pronounced zǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 宰?
The radical of 宰 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 宰 under this radical.
Is 宰 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 宰 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 被宰了 mean in everyday Chinese?
被宰了 (bèi zǎi le) is slang for being overcharged or ripped off, usually by a shop, taxi or restaurant. It does not mean anyone was literally killed.
Is 宰相 the same as a modern prime minister?
宰相 (zǎixiàng) refers to the chief minister in imperial China. For a modern prime minister, Chinese uses 总理 (zǒnglǐ) or 首相 (shǒuxiàng).