刺

cì

HSK 6

刺 — cì

1. thorn; spine (sharp pointed part on a plant)

   玫瑰的枝条上有许多尖锐的刺，小心别被扎到。 méiguī de zhītiáo shàngyǒu xǔduō jiānruì de cì xiǎoxīn bié bèi zhā dào — The rose branches have many sharp thorns; be careful not to get pricked.

2. to prick; to stab; to pierce (with a sharp object)

   他不小心被钉子刺到了手，疼得直叫。 tā bùxiǎo xīn bèi dīngzi cìdào le shǒu téng dé zhí jiào — He accidentally got his hand pricked by a nail and cried out in pain.

3. to assassinate; to stab to death (literary/strong term for murder by stabbing)

   历史记载中那位将军在夜间被敌军刺杀。 lìshǐ jìzǎi zhōng nàwèi jiāngjūn zài yèjiān bèi díjūn cìshā — Historical records state that the general was assassinated by enemy forces at night.

刺 — cī

1. onomatopoeia: whoosh (sound of something slicing through the air)

   一把刀从旁边划过，发出“刺——”的一声。 yībǎ dāo cóng pángbiān huáguò fāchū cì de yīshēng — A knife sliced past and went “whoosh.”