Chinese Conversation · Level 22
90 words
Chinese word
吸
Pronunciation
Pinyinxī
Meaning
- verbsmoke
Example
他在外面吸烟。tā zài wài miàn xī yān
He is smoking outside.
More examples
她深深地吸了一口气。tā shēn shēn dì xī le yì kǒu qì
She took a deep breath.
Core concept
Drawing something inward through a body, a container, or a device by creating suction.
Common phrases
吸烟xī yān
smoke
吸收xī shōu
absorb
吸引xī yǐn
attract
吸气xī qì
inhale
Similar words
闻wén: Using the nose to notice and identify a smell.
含hán: Holding something in the mouth without swallowing it.
吞tūn: Sending food or drink from the mouth down the throat into the stomach.
Definition in Chinese
用口、鼻或器具把空气、烟雾或液体吸入体内或容器内；也指用吸力把物体或气体拉入或抽出。yòng kǒu bí huò qì jù bǎ kōng qì yān wù huò yè tǐ xī rù tǐ nèi huò róng qì nèi yě zhǐ yòng xī lì bǎ wù tǐ huò qì tǐ lā rù huò chōu chū
Word origin
吸 (xī, "draw in") combines 口 (kǒu, "mouth") for the action's bodily focus with 及 (jí, "reach") as its sound component, and the character came to express drawing things inward.
Usage tips
- The same verb works when a person, a sponge, or a machine takes something in, so the most natural English translation changes with the subject and material.