<p><strong>cha,</strong>
usually use it as, fork, you stick fork into food. you stick your finger into your mouth, etc. its usually not aggressive.</p>

<p><strong>ci,</strong>
the second one, basically as, needle, eg: the fish bone hurt my finger... when you are having a shot from doctor, etc.</p>

<p><strong>tong,</strong>
I feel this is like, you use weapon firmly stick into something, a bit aggressive. for example, the knife sticked into your body...etc</p>

<p><strong>zha,</strong>
this one is like an accident, you accidentally hurt your finger, by a very small, sharp thing, for example: the glass hurt me, you can use "zha", also "zha" usually is not deep, its like hurt you on the surface...</p>

<p>just a brief explain. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-22T09:33:41.000Z
2015-11-22T09:33:41.000Z
Haomin
<p>I would say, 刺 and 扎 highlights the acuteness of the things that is stabbing. If there has to be a difference, 刺 can be done with something pointing or sharp, but 扎 usually refers to only pointing things. But 捅 isn't necessarily sharp. Instead, 捅 usually implies a rapid and forceful movement. 插 can be the mildest and the most casual action of the four, and it also  sometimes implies that their is already a slit or a hole before putting into something, like a plug, a card slit, or a blank.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-25T11:15:27.900Z
2015-11-25T11:15:27.900Z
王凯越 Kaiyue Wang
<p>I looked up a dictionary and</p>

<p>插,刺,捅,扎 are all translated as "sting".</p>

<p>Any difference between them? For example some are more casual while others are not...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-22T12:22:59.207Z
some users are wondering which dictionary would have only one word as entry for each of these verbs,cf.＂汉语水平考试词典＂：＊＊插＊＊ 乙（动）［义１］把细长或片状的东西扎进、挤进别的东西（stick in;insert):～花｜～曲｜～头｜～图｜～页｜～座｜安～｜～翅难飞｜见缝～针｜蛋糕上～着几支生日蜡烛。［义２］中间临时加入，参与（interpose;insert):～手｜穿～｜自觉一点，别插队！｜对不起～一句话｜早已开学了，你只好做～班生了。＊＊刺＊＊乙（动）用针或尖头的东西去扎（sting;stab):～绣｜拼～｜针～｜他用针在手臂上～了一朵花｜警察被歹徒～伤了。［义２］刺激（irritate;stimulate):～鼻｜～目｜～眼｜刀在钢板上刮的声音常～耳｜明亮的灯光～得他眼睛也睁不开。［义３］偷偷的杀死；暗杀（assassinate）：～客｜行～｜美国总统肯尼递是被～杀的｜他在途中遇～身亡.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-22T12:23:20.797Z
［义４］暗中打听（detect;spy):工业间谍专门～探经济情报。［义５］用挖苦的话嘲笑别人（criticize;satirize):不要去随便讽～别人｜他够伤心的了，你别再拿话去～他。＊＊捅＊＊ 丁（动）［义１］用尖而长的东西戳、扎（poke;stab):不小心～了个漏子｜凶犯～刀在他肩上，血流了出来｜把信从门缝里～进去｜这人太凶了，没人敢去～这个马蜂窝。［义２］碰（stir up;give a nudge):用指头轻轻地～了他一下｜老李腰部受伤了，别～他的腰。［义３］揭露；说出来让人知道（disclose；give away；let out）：小李把单位里的事都～到外面去了｜我给你讲的悄悄话，可别到处乱～。＊＊扎＊＊ 乙（动）［义１］（用）尖的东西刺、插入（prick;stab):～手｜～针｜手上～了一根刺｜在小女孩耳朵上～孔儿戴耳环。［义２］钻进去、投入（plunge into；get into）：一头～进水里｜他在农村已经～根了。［义３］驻扎（pitch）：稳～稳打｜安营～寨｜部队在草地上～营。
user6065
<difference>
插,刺,捅,扎 what are the differences?
# 插,刺,捅,扎 what are the differences?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-22)

I looked up a dictionary and

插,刺,捅,扎 are all translated as "sting".

Any difference between them? For example some are more casual while others are not...

**Tags:** difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: some users are wondering which dictionary would have only one word as entry for each of these verbs,cf.＂汉语水平考试词典＂：＊＊插＊＊ 乙（动）［义１］把细长或片状的东西扎进、挤进别的东西（stick in;insert):～花｜～曲｜～头｜～图｜～页｜～座｜安～｜～翅难飞｜见缝～针｜蛋糕上～着几支生日蜡烛。［义２］中间临时加入，参与（interpose;insert):～手｜穿～｜自觉一点，别插队！｜对不起～一句话｜早已开学了，你只好做～班生了。＊＊刺＊＊乙（动）用针或尖头的东西去扎（sting;stab):～绣｜拼～｜针～｜他用针在手臂上～了一朵花｜警察被歹徒～伤了。［义２］刺激（irritate;stimulate):～鼻｜～目｜～眼｜刀在钢板上刮的声音常～耳｜明亮的灯光～得他眼睛也睁不开。［义３］偷偷的杀死；暗杀（assassinate）：～客｜行～｜美国总统肯尼递是被～杀的｜他在途中遇～身亡.  
> **username_1**: ［义４］暗中打听（detect;spy):工业间谍专门～探经济情报。［义５］用挖苦的话嘲笑别人（criticize;satirize):不要去随便讽～别人｜他够伤心的了，你别再拿话去～他。＊＊捅＊＊ 丁（动）［义１］用尖而长的东西戳、扎（poke;stab):不小心～了个漏子｜凶犯～刀在他肩上，血流了出来｜把信从门缝里～进去｜这人太凶了，没人敢去～这个马蜂窝。［义２］碰（stir up;give a nudge):用指头轻轻地～了他一下｜老李腰部受伤了，别～他的腰。［义３］揭露；说出来让人知道（disclose；give away；let out）：小李把单位里的事都～到外面去了｜我给你讲的悄悄话，可别到处乱～。＊＊扎＊＊ 乙（动）［义１］（用）尖的东西刺、插入（prick;stab):～手｜～针｜手上～了一根刺｜在小女孩耳朵上～孔儿戴耳环。［义２］钻进去、投入（plunge into；get into）：一头～进水里｜他在农村已经～根了。［义３］驻扎（pitch）：稳～稳打｜安营～寨｜部队在草地上～营。  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-11-22. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

**cha,**
usually use it as, fork, you stick fork into food. you stick your finger into your mouth, etc. its usually not aggressive.

**ci,**
the second one, basically as, needle, eg: the fish bone hurt my finger... when you are having a shot from doctor, etc.

**tong,**
I feel this is like, you use weapon firmly stick into something, a bit aggressive. for example, the knife sticked into your body...etc

**zha,**
this one is like an accident, you accidentally hurt your finger, by a very small, sharp thing, for example: the glass hurt me, you can use "zha", also "zha" usually is not deep, its like hurt you on the surface...

just a brief explain.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-11-25. Score: 1

I would say, 刺 and 扎 highlights the acuteness of the things that is stabbing. If there has to be a difference, 刺 can be done with something pointing or sharp, but 扎 usually refers to only pointing things. But 捅 isn't necessarily sharp. Instead, 捅 usually implies a rapid and forceful movement. 插 can be the mildest and the most casual action of the four, and it also sometimes implies that their is already a slit or a hole before putting into something, like a plug, a card slit, or a blank.


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