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咬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
咬
yǎo
to bite
HSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1252, Hard
咬
yǎo
to nip
HSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1252, Hard
咬
yǎo
to bite, to gnaw
HSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1252, Hard
yǎo(yao3)yao T3
1to bite
2to nip
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March 24, 2026
咬yǎo(yao3)
The verb '咬' (yǎo) means 'to bite' or 'to nip.' It is commonly used in both literal contexts, such as biting food, and in figurative contexts, such as biting criticism. This character conveys a sense of action that involves taking a small piece from something, often with teeth.
Strokes9Radical口Frequency#1252DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the act of '咬' often appears in proverbs and idioms, such as '咬文嚼字' (yǎo wén jiáo zì), which refers to being overly pedantic or nitpicking words. This reflects the importance of language precision in Chinese communication.
Memory tip
Imagine a dog with sharp teeth that loves to 'yǎo' (bite) its favorite toy. The character 咬 looks like a mouth (口) opening wide to take a big bite out of something, emphasizing the action of biting.
Meanings of 咬
yǎo(yao3)
1to bite
2to nip
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
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About 咬
咬Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1252Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 咬
Podcast: 咬
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AI study notes for 咬
Quick Contrast
咬 (yǎo, to bite) vs 嚼 (jiáo, to chew) — use 咬 when emphasizing the action of biting, while 嚼 focuses on the action of chewing after biting.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse '咬' with '咬合' (yǎohé), which means 'to occlude' or 'to bite together.' This verb is generally informal, but you can use it in both casual and slightly formal contexts. Remember that the third tone (yǎo) can sometimes be mistakenly pronounced as the second tone (yáo).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, '咬' connects well with other action verbs like '吃' (to eat) and '喝' (to drink). Focus on using '咬' in sentences that involve food or interactions with animals to reinforce its meaning.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse '咬' with '咬合' (yǎohé) and mistakenly use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我咬合了这个苹果' instead of '我咬了这个苹果' (I bit this apple) is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 咬
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Learning Lab
Knowing 咬 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
咬 = 口 + 交. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 咬
IDS Structure⿰口交
咬Full character
=
口kou3
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 咬?
How to say to bite in Chinese
“to bite” in Chinese is咬yǎo
The verb '咬' (yǎo) means 'to bite' or 'to nip.' It is commonly used in both literal contexts, such as biting food, and in figurative contexts, such as biting criticism. This character conveys a sense of action that involves taking a small piece from something, often with teeth.
When to use 咬
Be careful not to confuse '咬' with '咬合' (yǎohé), which means 'to occlude' or 'to bite together.' This verb is generally informal, but you can use it in both casual and slightly formal contexts. Remember that the third tone (yǎo) can sometimes be mistakenly pronounced as the second tone (yáo).
咬 or something close to it
咬 (yǎo, to bite) vs 嚼 (jiáo, to chew) — use 咬 when emphasizing the action of biting, while 嚼 focuses on the action of chewing after biting.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse '咬' with '咬合' (yǎohé) and mistakenly use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我咬合了这个苹果' instead of '我咬了这个苹果' (I bit this apple) is incorrect.
Write 咬
咬
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Grammar patterns of 咬
咬 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
