嗅 (xiù) — to smell; to sniff
Definition
嗅 (xiù) is the deliberate, transitive 'to sniff' — the act of smelling, not the smell itself. Compared to 闻, it emphasizes a focused sniff, often of an animal or in pursuit of a scent.
verb
to smellto sniff
Examples
- ，嗅。Tā còu jìn huā duǒ, qīng qīng xiù le yí xià.She leaned close to the flower and gave it a gentle sniff.
- 嗅，。Jǐng quǎn zhèng zài xiù xíng li xiāng, xún zhǎo wéi jìn pǐn.The police dog is sniffing the suitcase, searching for contraband.
- 嗅，。Nǐ xiù yí xià zhè bēi chá, hǎo xiàng yǒu gǔ guài wèi.Give this cup of tea a sniff — it seems to have a strange smell.
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.
The left 口 (mouth) is the meaning part, and the right 臭 gives the sound.
Appears in
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