ci1笞
Jyutpingci1
Yalechī
Definition
To beat or whip with bamboo strips or a wooden stick.
writtenother
How it's used
This term is almost exclusively found in historical or legal contexts referring to ancient Chinese penal systems. It is not used in modern daily life to describe physical punishment or hitting, as it carries a specific, archaic, and formal weight. You will mostly encounter it when reading historical accounts or watching period dramas.
Examples
In ancient times, criminals had to be punished by whipping.
Related words
Common phrases
whipping punishment
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe hitting someone in a modern context, as it sounds extremely formal and archaic. Use 打 instead for general hitting.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
