shà
歃
sip; suck (blood)
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to sip; to suck (specifically blood in ancient covenants)
archaicClassical Chinese term primarily appearing in the idiom 歃血为盟, referring to the ancient ritual of smearing blood on the lips to seal an alliance. Rarely used in modern spoken language except in historical or literary contexts.
Gǔ古
dài代
zhū诸
hóu侯
jié结
méng盟
shí时
，
xū需
shà歃
xuè血
yǐ以
shì示
chéng诚
yì意
。
When ancient feudal lords formed alliances, they needed to sip blood to demonstrate their sincerity.
Tā他
men们
shà歃
xuè血
wéi为
méng盟
，
fā发
shì誓
tóng同
shēng生
gòng共
sǐ死
。
They smeared blood on their lips to form a covenant, swearing to live and die together.
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Cǐ此
yí仪
shì式
xū需
shà歃
xuè血
，
yǐ以
shì示
bù不
yú渝
zhī之
méng盟
。
This ritual requires sipping blood to show an unbreakable alliance.