吸食 (xī shí) — to inhale; to ingest (especially drugs or liquids)

Definition

吸食 is 'to inhale / ingest', usually harmful substances like drugs, smoke, or poison — more specific and negative than plain 吃 or 喝, which cover normal food and drink.

verb
to inhaleto ingest (especially drugs or liquids)

Examples

  • 吸食。
    Tā yīn wèi xī shí dú pǐn ér bèi pàn xíng.
    He was sentenced for drug use.
  • 吸食。
    Zhè zhǒng yè tǐ kě yǐ zhí jiē xī shí.
    This liquid can be ingested directly.
  • 吸食。
    xī shí Yā piàn duì jiàn kāng wēi hài jí dà.
    Smoking opium is extremely harmful to health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

吸xīinhale
食shíconsume

吸食 joins 吸 meaning inhale and 食 meaning consume to mean take in by sucking or eating.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →

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