宰

zǎi
HSK 6
#2,076 most
frequent character
to slaughter livestock
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

宰 zǎi puts 宀, a building, with 辛, a chisel-like tool that marks a criminal. The old picture gave the first meaning, 'criminal working inside building'. From there it grew to 'servant', 'imperial official', 'butcher', and 'to govern'.

宰 as a component in other characters

sound1 character
滓

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

他在市场上宰了一只羊。
tāzài shìchǎng shàng zǎi le yīzhī yáng 。
He slaughtered a sheep at the market.
这个商人常常宰顾客。
zhègè shāngrén chángcháng zǎi gùkè 。
This businessman often cheats customers.
古代的宰相负责治理国家。
gǔdài de zǎixiàng fùzé zhìlǐ guójiā 。
In ancient times, the chancellor was responsible for governing the country.

Words with similar meanings

杀shā
to kill
This is a more general term for killing, often used in a broader context.
管理guǎnlǐ
to manage
This refers specifically to governing or managing affairs, often used in organizational contexts.
欺骗qīpiàn
to deceive
This is a broader term that encompasses various forms of deception, not limited to cheating customers.

Homophones

载zǎi
to record in writing

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.

Public Lists with 宰

Domain-Specific: Business
Advanced corporate language, leadership, management, finance, strategy.
Meat & Seafood
Poultry, pork, beef, fish, shellfish, and related words.
Politics & Government
Elections, political parties, government structure, policy, and lawmaking.
Business & Commerce
Company types, contracts, marketing, management, and sales terminology.
HSK 6
All words for the HSK 6 test