宰

• Pinyin: zǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 宀 = roof/enclosure (setting); 辛 = hardship/punishment (action of butchering)

Meaning

To slaughter (livestock); to butcher. Colloquially: to overcharge or rip off a customer. In historical contexts: a high official who oversees governance.

Used in both literal (宰猪, 宰羊) and figurative senses. 宰客 describes merchants who systematically overcharge tourists or outsiders. The historical title 宰相 (prime minister) derives from a related but distinct etymological branch of the character.

Examples

1. 节庆前夕，村里的农户开始宰猪备肉，为年夜饭做准备。 On the eve of the holiday, villagers began slaughtering pigs and preparing meat for the New Year's Eve dinner.
2. 那家餐厅专门宰外地游客，消费标准明显高出周边同类店铺。 That restaurant specifically rips off out-of-town tourists, with prices clearly higher than similar places nearby.
3. 屠宰场须严格遵守检疫规程，确保宰杀流程符合食品安全标准。 Slaughterhouses must strictly follow quarantine and inspection procedures to ensure the slaughter process meets food safety standards.

Usage Guide

Context: food industry, consumer protection, colloquial

Tone: neutral/critical

Do Say

• 按照当地风俗，婚宴前一天家家户户都要宰鸡宰鸭，备齐宴席食材。(According to local custom, every household slaughters chickens and ducks the day before the wedding banquet to prepare the feast ingredients.)
• 这片旅游景区的部分商户以高价宰客而声名狼藉，有关部门已介入整治。(Some merchants in this tourist area are notorious for overcharging visitors — the relevant authorities have stepped in to carry out a crackdown.)

Don't Say

• 宰掉这份工作 — use 辞掉 or 放弃 for quitting a job; 宰 refers to slaughtering animals or cheating customers, not ending employment

Origin & History

宀 (roof/cover) + 辛 (punishment/hardship) — originally depicted a covered space where animals were slaughtered

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal