<p>定 simply means to set or fix (in place). Essentially a "STOP" sign. No wonder the monsters stop! Plus there's probably a connotation with the TV show.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E5%AE%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E5%AE%9A</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T09:25:34.447Z
2018-07-05T09:25:34.447Z
Vitaly Osipov
<p>定=to fix. 定-something, means fix something, make something still. it comes from the old tale. there is also an idiom that is called "葵花点穴手".</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-06T02:27:38.530Z
2018-07-06T02:27:38.530Z
Reagen
<p>I know the magic "定身法"(the body-immobilization magic) from the very famous TV show 《西游记》, in which the protagonist "孙悟空" uses it to immobilize monsters. The magic spell he uses is a single character "<strong>定</strong>". It went viral since then. Kids would joke around about it. </p>

<p>Nowadays, almost every native speaker knows this magic, given that 《西游记》 is such a popular TV show as well as its book. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T02:47:53.673Z
2018-07-05T02:47:53.673Z
dan
<p>In the movie 捉妖记 (zhuōyāojì), called Monster Hunt in English (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Hunt" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6170484/" rel="noreferrer">IMDB</a>, <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8D%89%E5%A6%96%E8%AE%B0/14077516" rel="noreferrer">Baidu</a>, <a href="http://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rrnr18nc.html" rel="noreferrer">iQIYI</a>), the movie's character 霍小岚 (Huòxiǎolán) attaches the Chinese hanzi</p>

<h1><a href="http://dict.cn/%E5%AE%9A" rel="noreferrer">定</a> (dìng)</h1>

<p>to the head of monsters, and this largely disables their movement.  It's used humorously in various scenes.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NPC0E.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NPC0E.png" alt="Monster with 定 stuck on his forehead"></a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm wondering what is significant about the character 定 in particular.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why does 定 disable the monsters' movement in Monster Hunt?</p>

<p>Among the definitions at dict.cn for <a href="http://dict.cn/%E5%AE%9A" rel="noreferrer">定</a>, we have "to set" and "to fix".  It's possible it's used as short for <a href="http://dict.cn/%E5%9B%BA%E5%AE%9A" rel="noreferrer">固定</a>, which has "immobilization" among its definitions.  Although, I'm just guessing here, and I feel like there is more to it, possibly even something historical.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T01:05:29.787Z
In 1985's Mr. Vampire (僵尸先生), a taoist priest attaches a large yellow strip with some inscriptions to the forehead of vampires/zombies to immobilize them. I couldn't find what's written on them, though.
Rodrigo
<characters><meaning-in-context><movies>
Why does 定 (dìng) disable the monsters' movement in the movie 捉妖记 (Monster Hunt)?
# Why does 定 (dìng) disable the monsters' movement in the movie 捉妖记 (Monster Hunt)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-05)

In the movie 捉妖记 (zhuōyāojì), called Monster Hunt in English ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Hunt), [IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6170484/), [Baidu](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8D%89%E5%A6%96%E8%AE%B0/14077516), [iQIYI](http://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rrnr18nc.html)), the movie's character 霍小岚 (Huòxiǎolán) attaches the Chinese hanzi

# [定](http://dict.cn/%E5%AE%9A) (dìng)

to the head of monsters, and this largely disables their movement. It's used humorously in various scenes.

> [![Monster with 定 stuck on his forehead](https://i.sstatic.net/NPC0E.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NPC0E.png)

I'm wondering what is significant about the character 定 in particular.

**Question**: Why does 定 disable the monsters' movement in Monster Hunt?

Among the definitions at dict.cn for [定](http://dict.cn/%E5%AE%9A), we have "to set" and "to fix". It's possible it's used as short for [固定](http://dict.cn/%E5%9B%BA%E5%AE%9A), which has "immobilization" among its definitions. Although, I'm just guessing here, and I feel like there is more to it, possibly even something historical.

**Tags:** characters, meaning-in-context, movies

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In 1985's Mr. Vampire (僵尸先生), a taoist priest attaches a large yellow strip with some inscriptions to the forehead of vampires/zombies to immobilize them. I couldn't find what's written on them, though.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-07-05. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

I know the magic "定身法"(the body-immobilization magic) from the very famous TV show 《西游记》, in which the protagonist "孙悟空" uses it to immobilize monsters. The magic spell he uses is a single character "**定**". It went viral since then. Kids would joke around about it.

Nowadays, almost every native speaker knows this magic, given that 《西游记》 is such a popular TV show as well as its book.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-07-05. Score: 4

定 simply means to set or fix (in place). Essentially a "STOP" sign. No wonder the monsters stop! Plus there's probably a connotation with the TV show.

<https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E5%AE%9A>


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-06. Score: 0

定=to fix. 定-something, means fix something, make something still. it comes from the old tale. there is also an idiom that is called "葵花点穴手".


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