吸 (xī) — to inhale, to breathe in; to suck, to draw in (liquid); to absorb (liquid, energy, etc.)
Definition
A single-character verb for physically drawing something in (air, liquid). For 'breathing' as a general/ongoing process use 呼吸; for absorbing knowledge or nutrients, 吸收 or 消化 are the natural words.
verb
to inhaleto breathe into suckto draw in (liquid)to absorb (liquid, energy, etc.)
Examples
- 吸。Tā xī le yì kǒu qì.He took a breath.
- 吸。Tā xī le yì kǒu yǐn liào.He took a sip of the drink.
- 吸。Bù xī le hěn duō shuǐ.The cloth absorbed a lot of water.
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.
吸 pairs 口 (mouth) with 及, which gives the sound and relates to grabbing, so the shape suggests grabbing through the mouth.
Appears in
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