煞 meaning and stroke order
Demon, fiend; baleful, noxious
How to write 煞, stroke by stroke
13 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 煞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fiend
- demon
- very
- (Tw) SARS (loanword)
- to terminate
- to cut short
- to bring to a stop
- to squeeze
- to tighten
- to damage
How 煞 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 煞
Picture 刍 (grass, fodder) and 攵 (a striking hand) above 灬 (fire): someone beats and burns the field, bringing everything to a stop. That harsh, destructive scene fits both meanings, stopping things (shā) and a baleful demon (shà).
As shā it means to stop or cut short, most often in 煞车 (shāchē, to brake), which is also written 刹车. As shà it appears in words about evil spirits or intensity, such as 煞费苦心 (shà fèi kǔ xīn, to take great pains). 他突然煞车了。(Tā tūrán shāchē le.) He suddenly hit the brakes.
Common mistake: Learners often read it only as shā and miss that the demon and very senses are fourth tone shà, as in 煞气 (shàqì) and 煞费苦心. Also do not confuse the top part with 急 (jí), which shares 刍 but has 心 below instead of 灬.
Common words with 煞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 煞车 | shāchē | to brake (when driving) |
煞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 煞
How many strokes are in 煞?
煞 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 煞 mean?
煞 (shā) means demon, fiend; baleful, noxious. A common word with it is 煞车 (shāchē), meaning "to brake (when driving)".
How do you pronounce 煞?
煞 is pronounced shā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 煞?
The radical of 煞 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 煞 under this radical.
What is the difference between 煞车 and 刹车?
Both are read shāchē and mean to brake. 刹车 is the more common standard spelling in mainland China, while 煞车 is a variant you will also see, especially in Taiwan.
What does 煞 mean in 煞风景?
In 煞风景 (shā fēngjǐng) it means to spoil, so the phrase means to ruin a nice mood or scene, like a killjoy. Here it uses the sense of damaging or cutting something short.