呷 (xiā) — to sip (dialectal)
Definition
呷 (xiā) means 'to sip' and is used mainly in southern Chinese dialects and literary writing, where everyday speech would use 喝 (hē). It implies a slow, gentle sip rather than a full swallow.
verb
to sip (dialectal)
Easily confused
- 押yālook-aliketo pawn, to mortgage
- 瞎xiāsound-alike(verb) to be blind (of eyes)
- 钾jiǎlook-alikepotassium (chemical element K)
- 虾xiāsound-alikeshrimp, prawn
- 岬jiǎlook-alike(bound form) cape, headland (point of land extending into the sea)
- 狎xiálook-alike(bound form) to be overly familiar or intimate in a disrespectful manner
Examples
- 呷。Tā xǐ huan màn màn dì xiā chá.He likes to slowly sip tea.
- 呷，。Tā xiā le yì kǒu rè tāng, jué de nuǎn huo duō le.She took a sip of hot soup and felt much warmer.
- ，呷。Lǎo xiān sheng duān zhe chá bēi, qīng qīng xiā zhe.The old gentleman held the teacup and sipped lightly.
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.
呷 combines 口 (mouth) with 甲, which provides its sound.
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