English–Chinese
“gnaw on” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinkěn
Example
孩子在桌上啃苹果。hái zi zài zhuō shàng kěn píng guǒ
The child is gnawing on an apple at the table.
How to say “gnaw on” in Chinese
“Gnaw on” in Chinese is 啃 (kěn).
The teeth keep returning to one spot until the object yields piece by piece, whether the object is food or a stubborn task.
Example sentences with 啃
狗在院子里啃骨头。gǒu zài yuàn zi lǐ kén gǔ tou
The dog is gnawing on a bone in the yard.
Tips for using 啃
- In a sentence describing an action in progress, a progressive marker commonly comes before this verb, while completion is expressed separately; the verb alone does not mark the endpoint.