TongTong
Sign in

吸吮 (xī shǔn) — to suck (with the mouth); to absorb (liquid, nutrients)

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning 'to suck' or 'to absorb' (liquid, nutrients). 比 吸 shē more vivid and mouth-focused; 比 吸收 more physical and active, often used for drawing out fluids.

verb
to suck (with the mouth)to absorb (liquid, nutrients)

Examples

  • 吸吮。
    Yīng ér zài xī shǔn mǔ qīn de rǔ zhī.
    The baby is sucking its mother's milk.
  • 吸吮。
    Zhí wù de gēn cóng tǔ rǎng zhōng xī shǔn shuǐ fèn hé yǎng fèn.
    Plant roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
  • 吸吮，。
    Tā yòng lì xī shǔn zhe shāng kǒu, xiǎng bǎ dú xuè xī chū lái.
    He sucked hard on the wound, trying to draw out the poisoned blood.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

吸xīsuck
吮shǔnsuck

Both 吸 and 吮 express sucking, together emphasizing the action.

Characters in this word

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 吮 →
Appears in
Senses

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.