刹 (chà) — (bound morpheme) used in 刹那 (chànà, 'instant')
Definition
A bound morpheme used only in 刹那 ('an instant'); it never stands alone. Compare 瞬间 (a brief moment) — both mean a split second, but 刹那 is more literary.
bound form
(bound morpheme) used in 刹那 (chànà, 'instant')
Examples
- ，。Nà yí chà nà, tā jué dìng fàng qì le.In that instant, he decided to give up.
- 。Shì qing jiù fā shēng zài yí chà nà jiān.It happened in a split second.
- ，。Yí chà nà, zhěng gè shì jiè dōu ān jìng le.In an instant, the whole world went quiet.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 剎; 刹 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
殺
殺shā剎shā
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 剎 combines 殺 for sound with 刂 (written fully as 刀, a knife) for meaning; the simplified 刹 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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