宰
zǎi
to slaughter; to butcher; to kill (animals etc)
(coll.) to fleece; to rip off; to overcharge; (bound form) to govern; to rule; (bound form) (a title for certain government officials in ancient China)
roof (宀) + hardship (辛) = one who rules over suffering
辛 originally depicted a knife or branding iron used for punishment, evoking pain and hard labor. Someone sheltered under authority (宀) who wielded that punishing power became the ruler, the official — and by extension, the one who slaughters.
他们在后院宰了一只鸡来招待客人。
tā men zài hòu yuàn zǎi le yī zhī jī lái zhāo dài kè rén。
They slaughtered a chicken in the backyard to treat the guests.
那家餐厅专门宰外地游客，价格贵得离谱。
nà jiā cān tīng zhuān mén zǎi wài dì yóu kè，jià gé guì de lí pǔ。
That restaurant specifically fleeces out-of-town tourists, with prices that are outrageously high.
Words with 宰
铁血宰相
tiě xuè zǎi xiàng
Iron Chancellor, refers to Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), Prussian politician, minister-president of Prussia 1862-1873, Chancellor of Germany 1871-1890
主宰
zhǔ zǎi
to dominate
主宰者
zhǔ zǎi zhě
ruler
任人宰割
rèn rén zǎi gē
to get trampled on (idiom)
巴宰族
bā zǎi zú
Pazeh, one of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan
宰了
zǎi le
(coll.) (typically used hyperbolically) to kill (sb)
宰予
zǎi yú
Zai Yu (522-458 BC), disciple of Confucius
宰予昼寝
zǎi yǔ zhòu qǐn
Zai Yu sleeps by day (idiom); refers to story in Analects of Confucius remonstrating bitterly with his student for sleeping during lectures
宰人
zǎi rén
to overcharge
宰制
zǎi zhì
to rule
宰割
zǎi gē
to slaughter
宰客
zǎi kè
to cheat customers