劏 (tāng) - To slaughter & to butcher (an animal)

劏Tone 1

tāng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

檀婷

劏 · tāng

To slaughter;

to butcher (an animal);

to cut open;

to disembowel;

used primarily in Cantonese and regional dialects.

To slaughterto butcher (an animal)to cut open

Usage highlights

Slaughter a pigGut a fishButcher a chickenSlaughter a duckButcher a gooseSlaughter a cow

Synonyms

  • 宰— to slaughter; to butcher
  • 杀— to kill

Antonyms

  • 救— to save; to rescue
  • 养— to raise; to nurture

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The butcher slaughtered the pig (劏猪).
  • He needs to gut the fish (劏鱼).
  • The kitchen knife is used for butchering (劏鸡用嘅刀).

Collocations

  • Slaughter a pig(劏猪)
  • Gut a fish(劏鱼)
  • Butcher a chicken(劏鸡)
  • Slaughter a duck(劏鸭)
  • Butcher a goose(劏鹅)
  • Slaughter a cow(劏牛)

Idioms

  • Slaughter a pig and butcher a sheep(劏猪宰羊)
  • Slaughter a chicken to scare the monkeys(劏鸡儆猴)
  • Slaughter a pig and cut it into three parts(劏猪三分)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in Cantonese and Southern Min dialects; less common in standard Mandarin.
  • Associated with traditional wet markets and butchery practices in Southern China and Hong Kong.
  • Often appears in colloquial expressions and culinary contexts.

FAQ