杀

shā

HSK 6

杀 — shā

1. to kill; to murder

   那个人拿刀杀了一只鸡。 nàge rén nádāo shā le yīzhī jī — That person killed a chicken with a knife.

2. to attack; to strike (military or competitive contexts)

   敌军夜里突然杀了过来，我们措手不及。 díjūn yèlǐ tūrán shā le guòlái wǒmen cuòshǒubùjí — The enemy suddenly attacked during the night; we were caught off guard.

3. to weaken; to reduce; to cut down

   新政策的实施在一定程度上杀了公司的利润率。 xīn zhèngcè de shíshī zài yídìng chéngdù shàng shā le gōngsī de lìrùnlǜ — The implementation of the new policy has to some extent reduced the company's profit margin.

4. (dialect) to smart; to sting (cause a sharp pain)

   伤口被酒精一抹，又疼又杀。 shāngkǒu bèi jiǔjīng yīmǒ yòu téng yòu shā — When alcohol was applied to the wound, it hurt and stung.

5. used after a verb as an intensifier meaning 'extremely' or 'terribly'

   这首歌好听得杀！ zhè shǒugē hǎotīng dé shā — This song is incredibly catchy!