屠杀

• Pinyin: tú shā
• Hanzi breakdown: 屠 = 尸 (body) + 者 (one who); 杀 = 杀 (kill, simplified from 殺)

Meaning

To massacre; to slaughter; mass killing. The deliberate killing of a large number of people or animals.

A serious term used primarily in historical, political, and humanitarian contexts to describe large-scale systematic killing. Often appears in discussions of war crimes, genocide, and historical atrocities. Also used for animal slaughter in industrial contexts.

Examples

1. 历史学家们仍在研究那场屠杀事件的真实死亡人数。 Historians are still researching the true death toll of that massacre.
2. 国际社会强烈谴责了这起针对平民的屠杀行为。 The international community strongly condemned this massacre targeting civilians.
3. 纪念馆里陈列着屠杀幸存者的证词和历史照片。 The memorial hall displays testimonies from massacre survivors and historical photographs.

Usage Guide

Context: history, politics, human rights

Tone: grave

Do Say

• 我们不能忘记历史上的那些屠杀事件。(We must not forget the massacres in history.)
• 这部纪录片记录了大屠杀幸存者的故事。(This documentary records the stories of massacre survivors.)

Don't Say

• 用'屠杀'形容游戏中打败对手 (Don't use 屠杀 casually for defeating opponents in games — it trivializes a grave term)

Origin & History

Compound of 屠 (to slaughter, butcher) + 杀 (to kill). 屠 originally referred to butchering animals; combined with 杀 it emphasizes mass killing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal