吮吸 (shǔn xī) — to suck (with the mouth)

Definition

Formal/literary verb meaning 'to suck (with the mouth)'. More common in writing than everyday 吸, which is the everyday 'to suck/smoke/inhale'.

verb
to suck (with the mouth)

Examples

  • 吮吸。
    Yīng ér shǔn xī zhe shǒu zhǐ.
    The baby is sucking his fingers.
  • 吮吸。
    Xiǎo māo shǔn xī niú nǎi.
    The kitten is sucking milk.
  • 吮吸。
    Tā yòng zuǐ shǔn xī guǒ zhī.
    He is sucking juice with his mouth.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

吮shǔnsuck
吸xīsuck

吮 and 吸 both mean suck, giving the idea of sucking.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 吮 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí吸xī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

吸 pairs 口 (mouth) with 及, which gives the sound and relates to grabbing, so the shape suggests grabbing through the mouth.

Open 吸 →

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