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刹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
刹chàBuddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅, Sanskrit ksetra)t, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
刹chàto braket, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
刹chàtemple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to braket, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
刹shāBuddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅, Sanskrit ksetra)t, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
刹shāto braket, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
刹shātemple, shrine, monastary; an instant, a moment; to braket, 8 strokes, radical 刂, rank #16362, Hard
chà(cha4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅, Sanskrit ksetra)
  2. 2to brake
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
刹(剎)chà(cha4)

The character 刹 (chà) primarily means 'to brake' or 'to stop'. It is also used to refer to a Buddhist monastery, temple, or shrine, often as an abbreviation for 剎多羅 (ksetra in Sanskrit). In both contexts, it conveys a sense of halting motion or a sacred space.

Strokes8Radical刂Frequency#16362DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, temples play a significant role in spiritual life, and 刹 is often used in Buddhist contexts. Visiting a 刹 is common for those seeking peace, reflection, or spiritual growth.

Memory Tip

Imagine a car that suddenly stops (brakes) at a beautiful temple (monastery). The character 刹 looks like a combination of a 'car' (the horizontal lines) and a 'temple' (the vertical strokes representing structure). Visualize the car halting at the temple to remember its meanings.

Meanings of 刹

chà(cha4)
primary
1Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅, Sanskrit ksetra)
2to brake
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 刹

刹Simplified
剎Traditional
8Strokes
刂Radical
时间词time word (t.)Part of Speech
#16362Frequency Rank

Podcast: 刹

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Podcast: 刹

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AI Study Notes for 刹

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a car that suddenly stops (brakes) at a beautiful temple (monastery). The character 刹 looks like a combination of a 'car' (the horizontal lines) and a 'temple' (the vertical strokes representing structure). Visualize the car halting at the temple to remember its meanings.

Usage Notes

In everyday conversation, the context usually clarifies whether 刹 refers to braking or a religious site. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding characters, such as 查 (chá, to check). Pay attention to the tone and context to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

While 刹 is not an HSK word, it connects to related vocabulary in HSK levels such as 寺 (sì, temple) and 停 (tíng, to stop). Students should focus on recognizing it in context, especially in texts about Buddhism or automotive discussions.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, temples play a significant role in spiritual life, and 刹 is often used in Buddhist contexts. Visiting a 刹 is common for those seeking peace, reflection, or spiritual growth.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 刹 with other similar-sounding characters. For example, saying '我查车' (Wǒ chá chē) instead of '我刹车' (Wǒ shāchē) can lead to confusion, as the former means 'I check the car' rather than 'I brake'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 刹

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Etymology of 刹

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
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 刹?

Decomposition of 刹

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

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 刹?

Write 刹

刹

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

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Grammar Patterns of 刹

刹 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

幸好他反应快，及时____了车。

Luckily he reacted fast and braked in time.

Example Sentences for 刹 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我猛地一踩刹车，结果车子打滑了。

wǒ měng dì yī cǎi chà chē， ， jié guǒ chē zǐ dǎ huá。

I slammed the brakes on and went into a skid.
2
某厂家由于疏忽，制造并销售了一款刹车系统存在缺陷的汽车。

mǒu chǎng jiā yóu yú shū hū， ， zhì zào bìng xiāo shòu le yī kuǎn chà chē xì tǒng cún zài quē xiàn de qì。

A manufacturer negligently made and marketed a car with defective brakes.
3
为避免相撞而刹车时，他听到了轮胎与地面刺耳的摩擦声。

wéi bì miǎn xiāng zhuàng ér chà chē shí， ， tā tīng dào le lún tāi yǔ dì miàn cì ěr de mó cā。

He heard tires squeal as the car braked to avoid a collision.
4
一辆黑色的梅赛德斯轿车在直升机旁嘎的一声刹住了。

yī liàng hēi sè de méi sài dé sī jiào chē zài zhí shēng jī páng gā de yī shēng chà zhù le。

A black Mercedes screeched to a halt beside the helicopter.
5
“路行者”汽车的性能、轮胎和刹车都更好。

“ “ lù háng” zhě ” qì chē de、 xìng néng 、 lún tāi hé chà chē。

The Roadrunner had better power, better tyres, and better brakes.
6
对于这种大小的车子来说,这刹车要算很好了.

duì yú zhè zhǒng dà xiǎo de chē zǐ lái shuō, , zhè chà chē yào suàn hěn hǎo.

For a car of this size the lock is excellent.
7
外面车行道上传来刺耳的刹车声。

wài miàn chē háng dào shàng chuán lái cì ěr de chà chē shēng。

There was a scream of brakes from the carriageway outside.
8
我试图去够脚刹，但是没能踩到。

wǒ shì tú qù gòu jiǎo chà， ， dàn shì méi néng cǎi。

I tried to reach the foot brakes but I couldn't.
9
刹车踩得越用力，车子减速越猛。

chà chē cǎi dé yuè yòng lì， ， chē zǐ jiǎn sù yuè。

The harder the brake pedal is pressed, the greater the car's deceleration.
10
他点燃一支烟，轻踩刹车减速。

tā diǎn rán yī zhī yān， ， qīng cǎi chà chē jiǎn。

He lit a cigarette and braked the car slightly.

Cultural Notes for 刹

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, temples play a significant role in spiritual life, and 刹 is often used in Buddhist contexts. Visiting a 刹 is common for those seeking peace, reflection, or spiritual growth.

Word Family of 刹

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 刹

刹 can mean 'to brake' or refer to a Buddhist temple or shrine.