Chinese word

咀嚼

Pronunciation

Pinyinjǔ jué

Meaning

  • verbchew

Example

吃饭时要慢慢咀嚼。chī fàn shí yào màn màn jǔ jué

You should chew slowly when eating.

Illustration for 咀嚼 (chew)

More examples

这块肉很硬，要好好咀嚼才能下咽。zhè kuài ròu hěn yìng yào háo hǎo jǔ jué cái néng xià yàn

This meat is tough, so you must chew it well before you can swallow it.

Core concept

A thing is worked over again and again until it becomes easier to take in, physically or mentally.

Common phrases

  • 慢慢咀嚼màn màn jǔ jué

    chew slowly

  • 一口一口咀嚼yì kǒu yì kǒu jǔ jué

    chew each bite

Similar words

咬yǎo: Bite something with the teeth, often in one firm or forceful action.
啃kěn: Gnaw at hard food, taking small pieces with the teeth over time.
嚼jué: Chew food slowly in the mouth until it becomes soft.

Definition in Chinese

用牙齿把食物咬碎并在口中反复磨动，使之更容易吞咽或帮助消化。yòng yá chǐ bǎ shí wù yǎo suì bìng zài kǒu zhōng fǎn fù mó dòng shǐ zhī gèng róng yì tūn yàn huò bāng zhù xiāo huà

Word origin

咀嚼 (jǔjué, "chew") is formed from 咀 (jǔ, "bite or chew") + 嚼 (jué, "chew"), with both components pointing to repeated chewing and supporting the extended sense of sustained thought.

Usage tips

  • Its mental use tends to sound more literary or reflective than its physical use, so it often appears in writing about sustained thought rather than quick conversation.

Other meanings

  • ponderverb
  • ruminateverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word