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噎住 (yē zhù) — to choke (on food); to be choked up (with emotion, unable to speak)

Definition

A result verb (离合词) meaning 'to choke' — split as 噎…住 to show the completed action. Covers both choking on food and being choked up with emotion and unable to speak.

verb
to choke (on food)to be choked up (with emotion, unable to speak)

Examples

  • ，噎住。
    Tā chī dé tài kuài, yē zhù le.
    He ate too fast and choked.
  • 噎住，。
    Tā jī dòng dé yē zhù, shuō bù chū huà lái.
    He was so emotional that he choked up and couldn't speak.
  • 噎住。
    Xiǎo hái bèi huā shēng yē zhù le.
    The child choked on a peanut.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

噎yēchoke
住zhùstuck

噎 is choking, and 住 indicates being stuck or stopped, so the word means to choke up.

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kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
壹
壹yī噎yē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

噎 pairs 口 (mouth) with 壹 for the sound; 口 shows the meaning is about choking or hiccupping.

Open 噎 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →
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