杀 meaning and stroke order
To kill; to slay; to murder; to attack; to weaken; to reduce; (dialect) to smart
How to write 杀, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 5
- 6
Meaning of 杀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to kill; to slay; to murder; to attack
- to weaken; to reduce
- (dialect) to smart
- (used after a verb) extremely
How 杀 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To kill 乂 someone and bury them in a coffin 木.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 杀
The top part 乂 looks like a cross mark, a slash that strikes someone down, and the bottom is 木 (mù, wood), read in the etymology hint as a wooden coffin. Kill 乂 someone and bury them in a coffin 木, and you have 杀 (shā).
杀 (shā) appears in serious words like 杀人 (shārén, to commit murder) and 杀害 (shāhài, to murder). It also shows up in everyday tech talk as 杀毒 (shādú, to remove a computer virus). Example: 我的电脑需要杀毒。(Wǒ de diànnǎo xūyào shādú.) My computer needs a virus scan.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 杀 (shā) with 条 (tiáo, strip, measure word), since both sit on a 木 base. 杀 has the cross 乂 on top, while 条 has 夂. Also keep the first tone: shā, not shǎ, which is 傻 (silly).
Common words with 杀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 自杀 | zìshā | to kill oneself; to commit suicide | HSK 5 |
| 杀毒 | shādú | to disinfect; (computing) to destroy a computer virus | HSK 5 |
| 杀手 | shāshǒu | killer; murderer | HSK 7-9 |
| 杀害 | shāhài | to murder | HSK 7-9 |
| 屠杀 | túshā | to massacre; to slaughter | HSK 7-9 |
| 暗杀 | ànshā | to assassinate | HSK 7-9 |
| 杀死 | shāsǐ | to kill | |
| 杀人 | shārén | to kill a person; to commit murder | |
| 谋杀 | móushā | to murder; to assassinate | |
| 杀掉 | shādiào | to kill | |
| 他杀 | tāshā | homicide (law) | |
| 谋杀案 | móushā'àn | murder case | |
| 杀人犯 | shārénfàn | murderer; homicide | |
| 枪杀 | qiāngshā | to shoot dead |
杀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 杀
Learning 杀 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 杀
How many strokes are in 杀?
杀 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 杀 mean?
杀 (shā) means to kill; to slay; to murder; to attack; to weaken; to reduce; (dialect) to smart. A common word with it is 自杀 (zìshā), meaning "to kill oneself; to commit suicide".
How do you pronounce 杀?
杀 is pronounced shā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 杀?
The radical of 杀 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 杀 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 杀?
The traditional form of 杀 is 殺. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 杀 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 杀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 杀 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Can 杀 be used in a non-violent way?
Yes. Placed after a verb or adjective, it can mean extremely, as in 笑杀 (xiàoshā, to die laughing) or 气杀 (qìshā, furious). It can also mean to weaken or reduce, as in 杀价 (shājià, to bargain the price down).
What is the difference between 杀 and 杀死?
杀 (shā) is the action of killing or attacking, and it does not always say the victim died. 杀死 (shāsǐ) adds 死 (sǐ, dead) to stress the result, meaning to kill so that someone actually dies.