<p>殺頭 is a kind of dead sentence (/punishment) carried out by government officials.</p>

<p>砍頭 is a way to kill people.</p>

<p>e.g. if it is "victim vs gangsters", you can only say "砍頭" but not "殺頭".</p>

<p>But when used as adjectives ("殺頭的" and "砍頭的"), it is okay to switched between them, as said by Opteron and user3306356.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-09T05:32:05.717Z
2014-09-09T05:32:05.717Z
Henry HO
<p>杀头 = be sentenced to death</p>

<p>砍头 = be beheaded</p>

<p>In the old times, death penalty is carried out by beheading, so it is OK to switch between the two words.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-08T16:14:38.723Z
2014-09-08T16:14:38.723Z
Patrick
<p>砍头 is concrete. It invokes the image of hacking with an axe or sword. When it is done with a piano wire, this word is definitely not a good choice.</p>

<p>砍，读kǎn，用刀斧等猛剁，用力劈：～柴。～伐。 chop；chop at；hack；hew；shear. Like chopping wood with an axe.</p>

<p>source: <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/264052.htm?fr=aladdin" rel="nofollow">http://baike.baidu.com/view/264052.htm?fr=aladdin</a></p>

<hr>

<p>杀头 is generic and abstract. It does not invoke particular image.</p>

<p>杀, 使失去生命. To cause living thing to lose life.</p>

<p>Source: <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/subview/282596/9727885.htm" rel="nofollow">http://baike.baidu.com/subview/282596/9727885.htm</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-08T16:00:53.923Z
2014-09-23T06:42:28.920Z
2014-09-23T06:42:28.920Z
George Chen
<p>砍头is the official expression
杀头 is the civil expression</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-20T06:23:08.897Z
2014-09-20T06:23:08.897Z
Oliver Redman
<p>杀头 means to kill a prisoner, the prisoner can be killed by a gun, or lethal injection.  While 砍头 means decapitation only.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-15T09:35:52.710Z
2014-09-15T09:35:52.710Z
Wang Ye
<p>I'm learning about 鲁迅 and the picture he
 saw of a man being decapitated. </p>

<p>My teacher would switch between 杀头 and 砍头  - is their a large difference between the two? is one more formal? Is there a difference in usage? </p>

<p>Sorry for being a bit morbid - but this is helpful! </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-09T02:36:11.093Z
Hahaha I read the title and came here to say you forgot the 的! Which both mean 'damn!' - like 杀头的东西 or 砍头的家伙
Mou某
<vocabulary>
Is there a difference between 杀头 and 砍头？
# Is there a difference between 杀头 and 砍头？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-08)

I'm learning about 鲁迅 and the picture he
saw of a man being decapitated.

My teacher would switch between 杀头 and 砍头 - is their a large difference between the two? is one more formal? Is there a difference in usage?

Sorry for being a bit morbid - but this is helpful!

**Tags:** vocabulary

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hahaha I read the title and came here to say you forgot the 的! Which both mean 'damn!' - like 杀头的东西 or 砍头的家伙  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-09-09. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

殺頭 is a kind of dead sentence (/punishment) carried out by government officials.

砍頭 is a way to kill people.

e.g. if it is "victim vs gangsters", you can only say "砍頭" but not "殺頭".

But when used as adjectives ("殺頭的" and "砍頭的"), it is okay to switched between them, as said by Opteron and user3306356.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-09-08. Score: 5

杀头 = be sentenced to death

砍头 = be beheaded

In the old times, death penalty is carried out by beheading, so it is OK to switch between the two words.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-08. Score: 5

砍头 is concrete. It invokes the image of hacking with an axe or sword. When it is done with a piano wire, this word is definitely not a good choice.

砍，读kǎn，用刀斧等猛剁，用力劈：～柴。～伐。 chop；chop at；hack；hew；shear. Like chopping wood with an axe.

source: <http://baike.baidu.com/view/264052.htm?fr=aladdin>

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杀头 is generic and abstract. It does not invoke particular image.

杀, 使失去生命. To cause living thing to lose life.

Source: <http://baike.baidu.com/subview/282596/9727885.htm>


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-09-20. Score: 2

砍头is the official expression
杀头 is the civil expression


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### Answer by username_6 on 2014-09-15. Score: 0

杀头 means to kill a prisoner, the prisoner can be killed by a gun, or lethal injection. While 砍头 means decapitation only.


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