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剎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
剎shātemple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to brakezg, 9 strokes, radical 刂
shā(sha1) T1
  1. 1temple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to brake
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March 24, 2026

剎shā(sha1)

The character 剎 (shā) has several meanings, primarily referring to a temple, shrine, or monastery, especially in a Buddhist context. It can also denote a brief moment in time or the act of braking, such as in driving. The context usually clarifies the intended meaning, as the character can have different implications in religious, temporal, or mechanical discussions.

Strokes9Radical刂
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 剎 is often associated with Buddhist practices, and temples play a significant role in spiritual life. Visiting a 剎 can be a way to engage in rituals and seek tranquility, reflecting the importance of spirituality in daily life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a serene temple (the meaning of 剎) surrounded by monks in meditation. The character has a '刂' (knife) radical, which can remind you of the sharpness of a moment or the need to 'cut' through noise to find peace. Picture a car suddenly braking (another meaning of 剎) as it approaches the temple, emphasizing the importance of stopping for reflection.

Meanings of 剎

shā(sha1)
1temple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to brake
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 剎

剎Simplified
9Strokes
刂Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 剎

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Podcast: 剎

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AI Study Notes for 剎

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 剎 with similar-sounding characters that may change the meaning significantly. This character is more commonly used in formal or literary contexts, especially related to Buddhism. Common collocations include 剎车 (to brake) and 寺庙 (temple), which can help solidify its usage.

HSK Study Tips

Although 剎 is not included in HSK levels, it connects to HSK 3 vocabulary related to places of worship and time expressions. Focus on understanding its uses in both religious and temporal contexts, as well as practicing pronunciation due to its tonal nature. Recognizing it alongside related terms can enhance retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 剎 with 刹 (shā), which can lead to misunderstandings about its meaning. For example, saying '我去剎车' (I go to brake) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我刹车' (I brake).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 剎

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Etymology of 剎

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 杀 represents the sound. Simplified form of 剎.

Memory Hint

knife

Semantic (meaning)刂
+
Phonetic (sound)杀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 剎

Phonosemantic compound. 刂 represents the meaning and 杀 represents the sound. Simplified form of 剎.

  1. 1The meaning half刂 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half杀 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayknife
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 剎? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 剎?

Decomposition of 剎

IDS Structure⿰杀刂
剎Full Character
=
杀sha1
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 剎?

How to say temple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to brake in Chinese

“temple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to brake” in Chinese is剎shā

The character 剎 (shā) has several meanings, primarily referring to a temple, shrine, or monastery, especially in a Buddhist context. It can also denote a brief moment in time or the act of braking, such as in driving. The context usually clarifies the intended meaning, as the character can have different implications in religious, temporal, or mechanical discussions.

When to use 剎

Be cautious not to confuse 剎 with similar-sounding characters that may change the meaning significantly. This character is more commonly used in formal or literary contexts, especially related to Buddhism. Common collocations include 剎车 (to brake) and 寺庙 (temple), which can help solidify its usage.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 剎 with 刹 (shā), which can lead to misunderstandings about its meaning. For example, saying '我去剎车' (I go to brake) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我刹车' (I brake).

Write 剎

剎

Practice writing 剎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 剎

Words Containing This Character9
刹车shāchēto stop剎車
刹chàto brake剎
刹那chànàsplit second剎那
罗刹demon in Buddhism羅剎
急刹车emergency braking急剎車
古刹old Buddhist temple古剎
刹不住unable to brake (stop)剎不住
刹把brake lever剎把
梵刹monastery梵剎
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 刹车 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 剎

In a sentence, 剎 can refer to a place of worship, like '我们去剎拜佛' (Let's go to the temple to pray).

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