毙 bì to kill
怎么记住“毙”: 比 compare + 死 to die = to kill. Compared with his little sister the boy is hopeless at the zombie game, and his hero seems to die whenever a zombie is close enough to kill.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
originally 敝 + 死
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
毙 = 比 compare + 死 to die
- 比 compare shape only
- 死 to die meaning
- 歹 wicked
- 匕 spoon
Compared with his little sister the boy is hopeless at the zombie game, and his hero seems to die whenever a zombie is close enough to kill.
How it came to be
Death gives the meaning; the short form writes the sign for compare where the full form had its sound part.
用法
- To kill / drop dead: 枪毙 (qiāngbì) to execute by firing squad, 击毙 (jībì) to shoot dead.
- 击毙 and 打死 differ in register: 击毙 is the official/news word. 毙命 (bìmìng) means to meet a violent end.