吸烟 (xī yān) — to smoke (tobacco, e.g. cigarettes or a pipe)

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to smoke (tobacco)'. More written and clinical than the everyday 抽烟 — you'll see 吸烟 on signs and health warnings.

verb

to smoke (tobacco, e.g. cigarettes or a pipe)

吸烟。
Tā měi tiān xī yān.
He smokes every day.
，。
Tā xī le shí nián yān, xiàn zài jiè le.
He smoked for ten years and now he has quit.
吸烟。
Yī shēng jiàn yì tā shǎo xī yān.
The doctor advised him to smoke less.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

吸xīdraw in

To draw in 烟 gives the meaning of smoking tobacco.

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.

口及吸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

及

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 煙; 烟 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 烟 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (烟) it is 煙; in others it is 菸.

火垔煙

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

垔

垔yīn煙yān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This story is about the traditional form 煙, not the simplified 烟. It pairs 火, fire, with 垔, which gives the sound.

Appears in