斬 [斩] zhǎn
verb
: to behead (as form of capital punishment)
: to chop; cut; sever; cut to pieces
Kun Reading
斬る | きる kiru
godan verb with ru ending
: to kill (a human) using a blade (sword, machete, knife, etc.)
: to slice (off); to lop (off); to cut (off)
On Reading
斬 | ざん zan
noun
: beheading; decapitation
サン san
斬[斩]新 zhan3xin1: variant of 嶄新 zhan3xin1: brand new
[斬新 | ざんしん zanshin: novel; original; newness]
斬[斩]斷 zhan3duan4: to cut off; to chop something in half
斬殺 [斩杀] zhan3sha: to kill and behead
[斬殺 | ざんさつ zansatsu: putting to the sword]
腰斬[斩] yao1zhan3: to chop somebody in half at the waist (capital punishment); to cut something in half; to reduce something by a dramatic margin; to terminate; to cut short
白斬雞 [白斩鸡] bai2 zhan3 ji1: (Cantonese) poached chicken, known as “white cut chicken”
: somebody of fair skin
Japanese common word | expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語
めった斬り | めったぎり mettagiri
: hacking to pieces
*斬釘截鐵 | ざんてい せってつ zantei settetsu
: to cut through nails and steel
斬新奇抜 | ざんしんきばつ zanshin kibatsu
: (yoji) novel; unconventional; cutting-edge
Chinese expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom
斬草除根 [斩草除根] zhan3 cao3 chu2 gen1
: to cut weeds and eliminate the roots; to destroy root and branch; to eliminate completely
*斬釘截鐵 [斩钉截铁] zhan3 ding1 jie2 tie3
: lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron; fig. resolute and decisive; unhesitating; categorical
披荊斬棘 [披荆斩棘] pi1 jing1 zhan3 ji2
: lit. to cut one’s way through thistles and thorns; fig. to overcome all obstacles on the way; to break through hardships; to blaze a new trail
先斬後奏 [先斩后奏] xian1 zhan3 hou4 zou4
: first decapitate then present your trophy; act first, report later
殺虎斬蛟 [杀虎斩蛟] sha1 hu3 zhan3 jiao1
: lit. to kill the tiger and behead the scaly dragon
滿門抄斬 [满门抄斩] man3 men2 chao1 zhan3
: to execute the whole family unto the third generation
快刀斬亂麻 [快刀斩乱麻] kuai4 dao1 zhan3 luan4 ma2
: lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp; decisive action in a complex situation; cutting the Gordian knot
過關斬將 [过关斩将] guo4 guan1 zhan3 jiang4
: to surmount all difficulties (on the way to success); abbr. for 過五關斬六將|过五关斩六将 guo4 wu3 guan1 zhan3 liu4 jiang4
OR
過五關斬六將 [过五关斩六将] guo4 wu3 guan1 zhan3 liu4 jiang4
: lit. to cross five passes and slay six generals; fig. to surmount all difficulties (on the way to success)
兩國相爭，不斬來使 [两国相争，不斩来使] liang2 guo2 xiang1 zheng1 , bu4 zhan3 lai2 shi3
: when two kingdoms are at war, they don’t execute envoys
車 (che1: cart; vehicle radical 159) suggests the meaning while
斤 (jin1: catty) provides the sound.
the character is explained as “a chariot with axes in it.”
簡體 Simplified.
斩. Derived from generic character simplification rule #14 (車 » 车) via usage of grass script form of character.
Examples:
他用斧頭重重的斬了一下，那棵樹就倒了下來。
ta1 yong4 fu3tou2 chong2chong2 de zhan3 le yi1xia4, na3 ke1 shu4 jiu4 dao3 le xia4 lai2
The tree was felled with one hard blow of his ax.
Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary
