舔 (tiǎn) — to lick
Definition
verb
to lick
Easily confused
Examples
- 舔。Māo zài tiǎn zì jǐ de zhuǎ zi.The cat is licking its own paws.
- 舔。Tā tiǎn le yì kǒu sháo zi shàng de guǒ jiàng.She licked a mouthful of jam off the spoon.
- 舔，。Bié tiǎn yóu piào, yòng jiāo shuǐ ba.Don't lick the stamp; use glue instead.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
忝
忝tiǎn舔tiǎn
Same sound today
The left side 舌 is tongue, showing licking is done with the tongue; the right side 忝 gives the sound tiǎn.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.