Definition
宰 (zǎi) means 'to slaughter an animal for meat'—contrast with 屠杀 (túshā), which implies a massacre of people. It also colloquially means 'to rip off' (overcharge customers), similar to 敲 (qiāo) but often used when tourists are taken advantage of; 敲诈 (qiāo zhà) is stronger extortion using threats.
verb
to slaughterto butcher (an animal)(colloquial) to rip offto overcharge (a customer)
Easily confused
- 辩biànlook-aliketo debate, to argue, to dispute
- 在zàisound-alike(verb) to be (located) at; to exist; to be alive
- 再zàisound-alikeagain; once more
- 栽zāisound-aliketo plant; to grow
- 灾zāisound-alikedisaster, calamity
Examples
- 宰。Tāmen jiā de xísú shì měinián chūnjié qián zǎi yì tóu zhū.Their family tradition is to slaughter a pig before every Spring Festival.
- ，宰。Nà ge sījī kàn wǒmen shì wàidì rén, xiǎng zǎi wǒmen yì bǐ.That driver, seeing we were from out of town, tried to rip us off.
- 宰。Yóukè zài zhè tiáo jiē shàng mǎi dōngxi hěn róngyì bèi zǎi.Tourists shopping on this street are easily overcharged.
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