Definition
啜 (chuài) is a literary verb restricted to formal or classical written texts — you will not hear it in everyday conversation. Its three distinct senses ('to drink/sip', 'to eat', 'to sob') each appear in specific compounds: 啜泣 (chuàiqì, 'to sob quietly'), 啜酒 (chuài jiǔ, 'to sip wine'), and 啜粥 (chuài zhōu, 'to eat gruel'). Avoid using it colloquially; modern Mandarin uses 喝 (hē), 吃 (chī), and 哭 (kū) instead.
v.
(literary) to drinkto sip(literary) to eat(literary) to sobto weep
Examples
- 。Tā zuò zài chuāng qián dúzì chuài qì.He sat by the window sobbing alone.
- 啜，。Shīrén chuài yǐn fù shī, gǎnkǎi wàn qiān.The poet sipped wine and composed poetry, filled with emotions.
- 啜，。Nànmín chuài yǐn xīzhōu chōngjī, zàn dé wēn bǎo.The refugees sipped thin gruel to stave off hunger, temporarily getting by.
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