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嗑 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗑kèto eat seeds; to reproach; loquaciousv, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #4247, Hard
嗑kèto crack (seeds) between one's teethunknown, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #4247, Hard
嗑kēto eat seeds; to reproach; loquaciousv, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #4247, Hard
嗑kēto crack (seeds) between one's teethunknown, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #4247, Hard
kē(ke1)ke
primary
T1
  1. 1to eat seeds; to reproach; loquacious
  2. 2to crack (seeds) between one's teeth
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March 24, 2026

嗑kē(ke1)

The character 嗑 (kē) primarily means to eat seeds, particularly sunflower seeds, which is a common snack in China. It can also refer to the action of cracking seeds between teeth or engaging in idle chatter. This word conveys a sense of casualness and is often used in informal contexts.

Strokes13Radical口Frequency#4247DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, eating sunflower seeds (嗑瓜子) is a popular social activity, especially during gatherings or while watching TV. This practice often symbolizes relaxation and casual conversation among friends and family.

Memory tip

Imagine a person sitting on a bench, cracking open sunflower seeds (嗑) while chatting with friends. The sound of the seeds cracking reminds you of the pronunciation 'kē'. Visualize the seeds spilling everywhere, representing the loquaciousness associated with this action.

Meanings of 嗑

kē(ke1)
primary
1to eat seeds; to reproach; loquacious
2to crack (seeds) between one's teeth
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嗑

嗑Simplified
13Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嗑

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Podcast: 嗑

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AI study notes for 嗑

Quick Contrast

嗑 (kē) vs 吃 (chī) — use 嗑 when referring specifically to cracking seeds or casual snacking rather than general eating.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 嗑 is often used in informal settings, so it may not be suitable for formal conversations. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding words; focus on the context to understand its casual usage. The phrase '嗑瓜子' (kē guā zǐ) specifically means to eat sunflower seeds.

HSK Study Tips

While 嗑 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, it's useful for learners at an intermediate level who are familiar with food-related vocabulary. Connecting it to other food-related words can help reinforce memory. Focus on pronunciation and context for proper usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗑 with other similar characters like 喝 (hē, to drink) or 咳 (ké, to cough). For example, saying '我在喝瓜子' instead of '我在嗑瓜子' is incorrect; it should be '我在嗑瓜子' (Wǒ zài kē guā zǐ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗑

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Etymology of 嗑

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 盍 represents the sound.

Memory hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)盍
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

嗑 = 口 + 盍. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嗑

IDS Structure⿰口盍
嗑Full character
=
口kou3
left
盍he2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嗑?

How to say to eat seeds; to reproach; loquacious in Chinese

“to eat seeds; to reproach; loquacious” in Chinese is嗑kè

The character 嗑 (kē) primarily means to eat seeds, particularly sunflower seeds, which is a common snack in China. It can also refer to the action of cracking seeds between teeth or engaging in idle chatter. This word conveys a sense of casualness and is often used in informal contexts.

When to use 嗑

Be mindful that 嗑 is often used in informal settings, so it may not be suitable for formal conversations. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar-sounding words; focus on the context to understand its casual usage. The phrase '嗑瓜子' (kē guā zǐ) specifically means to eat sunflower seeds.

嗑 or something close to it

嗑 (kē) vs 吃 (chī) — use 嗑 when referring specifically to cracking seeds or casual snacking rather than general eating.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嗑 with other similar characters like 喝 (hē, to drink) or 咳 (ké, to cough). For example, saying '我在喝瓜子' instead of '我在嗑瓜子' is incorrect; it should be '我在嗑瓜子' (Wǒ zài kē guā zǐ).

Write 嗑

嗑

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

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Word Family of 嗑

Words containing this character2
嗑kēto crack (seeds) between one's teeth
唠嗑làokēto gossip嘮嗑
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 嗑

What does 唠嗑 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 嗑

You can say, '我们边嗑瓜子边聊天' (Wǒmen biān kē guā zǐ biān liáotiān), meaning 'We chat while eating sunflower seeds.'

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