刹 (chà) is a Chinese character meaning “A transliteration syllable from Sanskrit: in 刹那 it means an”. It is written from 杀 (to kill) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes. It has a second reading, shā, which turns up in 刹车 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “an instant”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
杀 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（杀 6 画 + 刂 2 画 = 8 画）
Memory aid
杀 (shā, "to kill") on the left keeps the sound; the knife blade 刂 on the right is sharp and quick. Both parts really are in this character — picture a blade flashing past, and you have a 刹那, one split second.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 刹那chà nàan instant; a split second刹 = chà
- 古刹gǔ chàan ancient Buddhist temple刹 = chà
Go deeper
All readings
instant; Buddhist temple
A transliteration syllable from Sanskrit: in 刹那 it means an instant, a split second; in 古刹 it means a Buddhist temple or pagoda.
梵语音译用字。用在「刹那」里表示极短的时间；用在「古刹」里指佛寺、宝塔。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刹那chà nàan instant; a split second刹 = chà
- 古刹gǔ chàan ancient Buddhist temple刹 = chà
to brake
to brake; to bring a vehicle to a stop — mainly in the word 刹车.
止住、使停下，主要用在「刹车」里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刹车shā chēto brake; the brakes刹 = shā
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刹 mean?
刹 (chà) means A transliteration syllable from Sanskrit: in 刹那 it means an instant, a split second; in 古刹 it means a Buddhist temple or pagoda..
How do you pronounce 刹?
Its main reading is chà. It also has a second reading, shā, which only shows up in certain words such as 刹车 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 刹 sometimes pronounced shā?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 刹车 it is read shā.
What parts is 刹 made of?
杀 (to kill) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（杀 6 画 + 刂 2 画 = 8 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刹 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刹?
刂. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刹?
Common ones are 刹那 and 古刹. The reading of 刹 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.