Chinese word

刺

Pronunciation

Pinyincì

Meaning

  • verbprick

Example

她用针把手指刺了一下。tā yòng zhēn bǎ shóu zhǐ cì le yí xià

She pricked her finger once with a needle.

Illustration for 刺 (prick)

More examples

吃了很辣的菜后，喉咙有点刺痛。chī le hěn là de cài hòu hóu lóng yóu diǎn cì tòng

After eating a very spicy dish, my throat stung a little.

Core concept

A sharp point goes into a surface, leaving a small wound or a sudden sting.

Common phrases

  • 刺痛cì tòng

    stinging pain

  • 刺伤cì shāng

    stab and injure

Similar words

插chā: Inserting a long, thin object into the surface or inside of something.
穿chuān: Making a hole by sending an object all the way through something.

Definition in Chinese

用尖细的物体刺入或戳入人体或物体，使局部受损或产生刺痛。yòng jiān xì de wù tǐ cì rù huò chuō rù rén tǐ huò wù tǐ shǐ jú bù shòu sǔn huò chǎn shēng cì tòng

Word origin

The character 刺 (cì, "to prick") is formed from 朿 (cì, "thorn") + 刀 (dāo, "knife"), combining a thorn-like point with a sharp blade.

Usage tips

  • English often uses "poke" for a light touch, while this word more clearly suggests that a sharp point causes pain or damage.

Other meanings

  • thornnoun
  • stabverb

Related words

Word lists with this word