(guǎ) - to cut to pieces & to slice off

Tone 3

guǎ | 9 strokes | radical:

· guǎ

to cut to pieces;

to slice off;

to flay;

to be cut or wounded;

a punishment involving dismemberment in ancient China.

to cut to piecesto slice offto flay

Usage highlights

slice off fleshget scratched/cutdeath by a thousand cutsscrape againstflaying punishmentcut to pieces

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • to mend, to repair
  • to heal
  • to join, to unite

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The butcher sliced the meat (剐肉).
  • He was cut by broken glass (被玻璃剐伤).
  • The criminal was sentenced to death by slicing (凌迟处死, also called 千刀万剐).
  • The car scraped against the wall (车被墙剐了).

Collocations

  • slice off flesh(剐肉)
  • get scratched/cut(被剐伤)
  • death by a thousand cuts(千刀万剐)
  • scrape against(剐蹭)
  • flaying punishment(剐刑)
  • cut to pieces(剐碎)

Idioms

  • Death by a thousand cuts(千刀万剐)
  • Cut to pieces and grind to mince(碎剐凌迟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with 'lingchi' (凌迟), a form of execution involving dismemberment.
  • In modern usage, often refers to minor scrapes or scratches, especially in traffic accidents (剐蹭).
  • Carries strong negative connotations due to its violent historical associations.

FAQ