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嘬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嘬chuàito lap; to suckv, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬chuài(literary) to gnawunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬chuài(coll.) to suckunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬chuàito eat ravenouslyunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬zuōto lap; to suckv, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬zuō(literary) to gnawunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬zuō(coll.) to suckunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
嘬zuōto eat ravenouslyunknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #39233, Very Hard
chuài(chuai4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1to lap; to suck
  2. 2(literary) to gnaw
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嘬chuài(chuai4)

The character 嘬 (chuài) primarily means 'to lap' or 'to suck,' often used in the context of animals drinking or eating in a ravenous manner. It can also have a literary connotation, suggesting a more intense or greedy form of eating, similar to gnawing. This verb is less common in everyday conversation but can be found in poetic or descriptive language.

Strokes15Radical口Frequency#39233DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the act of eating ravenously is often associated with abundance and generosity during feasts. The use of 嘬 in literature can evoke images of lavish banquets, reflecting the importance of food in Chinese social gatherings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a hungry dog (the character's mouth-like shape) lapping up water eagerly. The '口' (mouth) radical emphasizes the action of sucking or lapping, while the sound 'chuài' can be remembered as the dog’s excited 'chow' as it eats ravenously.

Meanings of 嘬

chuài(chuai4)
primary
1to lap; to suck
2(literary) to gnaw
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 嘬

嘬Simplified
15Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嘬

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Podcast: 嘬

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AI Study Notes for 嘬

Quick Contrast

嘬 (chuài) vs 吸 (xī) — use 嘬 for a more intense or greedy action, while 吸 is more general for 'to suck' or 'to inhale.'

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 嘬, as it may sound overly informal or colloquial in certain contexts. It's commonly used in literature or descriptive writing rather than in formal conversation. Pairing it with words related to eating or drinking enhances its meaning, such as '嘬奶' (to suck milk).

HSK Study Tips

While 嘬 is not included in the HSK levels, it can be connected to basic food-related vocabulary. Students should focus on understanding its nuances in eating contexts, comparing it with more common verbs like 吃 (chī) for 'to eat' or 喝 (hē) for 'to drink'.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嘬 with 吃 (chī), using it in contexts where a more standard term for eating is expected. For example, saying '我想嘬苹果' (I want to suck an apple) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想吃苹果' (I want to eat an apple).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嘬

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Etymology of 嘬

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)最
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 嘬

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half最 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 嘬? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 嘬?

Decomposition of 嘬

IDS Structure⿰口最
嘬Full Character
=
口kou3
left
最zui4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嘬?

How to say to lap; to suck in Chinese

“to lap; to suck” in Chinese is嘬chuài

The character 嘬 (chuài) primarily means 'to lap' or 'to suck,' often used in the context of animals drinking or eating in a ravenous manner. It can also have a literary connotation, suggesting a more intense or greedy form of eating, similar to gnawing. This verb is less common in everyday conversation but can be found in poetic or descriptive language.

When to use 嘬

Be cautious when using 嘬, as it may sound overly informal or colloquial in certain contexts. It's commonly used in literature or descriptive writing rather than in formal conversation. Pairing it with words related to eating or drinking enhances its meaning, such as '嘬奶' (to suck milk).

嘬 or something close to it

嘬 (chuài) vs 吸 (xī) — use 嘬 for a more intense or greedy action, while 吸 is more general for 'to suck' or 'to inhale.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嘬 with 吃 (chī), using it in contexts where a more standard term for eating is expected. For example, saying '我想嘬苹果' (I want to suck an apple) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想吃苹果' (I want to eat an apple).

Write 嘬

嘬

Practice writing 嘬 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 嘬

Words Containing This Character1
嘬chuài(literary) to gnaw
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 嘬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嘬

You might hear phrases like '嘬奶' (to suck milk) or '嘬着吃' (to eat while sucking), which illustrate its usage in specific contexts.

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