Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
啃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
啃kěnto gnawHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #7833, Very Hard
啃kěnto nibbleHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #7833, Very Hard
啃kěnto biteHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #7833, Very Hard
啃kěnto gnaw, to chew, to biteHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #7833, Very Hard
kěn(ken3) T3
  1. 1to gnaw
  2. 2to nibble
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

啃kěn(ken3)

The character 啃 (kěn) primarily means 'to gnaw' or 'to nibble,' often used in the context of animals eating bones or tough food. It can also imply a persistent effort to tackle a difficult problem or task, reflecting a sense of determination and perseverance.

Strokes11Radical口Frequency#7833DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of gnawing on bones is often associated with enjoying the texture of the food, reflecting a preference for dishes that require more engagement in eating, like chicken wings or duck necks.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dog trying to gnaw on a bone, its teeth scraping against the hard surface. The character 啃 looks like a dog (the left side) chewing (the right side) on something tough. Think of 'kěn' as the sound of the dog gnawing, emphasizing its effort.

Meanings of 啃

kěn(ken3)
1to gnaw
2to nibble
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 啃

啃Simplified
11Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7833Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 啃

JasonAmy

Podcast: 啃

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 啃

Quick Contrast

啃 (kěn) vs 咬 (yǎo) — use 啃 when emphasizing a persistent or determined effort, while 咬 refers more generally to biting.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 啃 with 咬 (yǎo), which means 'to bite.' While both involve the use of teeth, 啃 typically conveys a more prolonged action of chewing or gnawing. It is often used in informal contexts and can be combined with food items or challenges.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 啃 connects well with other verbs that describe actions related to eating or engaging with tasks, like 吃 (chī - to eat) or 努力 (nǔlì - to strive). Focus on its usage in idiomatic expressions or in descriptions of effort.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 啃 with 咬 (yǎo) when describing eating habits. For example, saying '我在啃苹果' (Wǒ zài kěn píngguǒ - I am gnawing an apple) is incorrect; the correct verb would be 吃 (chī).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 啃

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 啃 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 啃

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 啃

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

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half肯 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 啃? 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 啃?

Decomposition of 啃

IDS Structure⿰口肯
啃Full Character
=
口kou3
left
肯ken3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 啃?

How to say to gnaw in Chinese

“to gnaw” in Chinese is啃kěn

The character 啃 (kěn) primarily means 'to gnaw' or 'to nibble,' often used in the context of animals eating bones or tough food. It can also imply a persistent effort to tackle a difficult problem or task, reflecting a sense of determination and perseverance.

When to use 啃

Be careful not to confuse 啃 with 咬 (yǎo), which means 'to bite.' While both involve the use of teeth, 啃 typically conveys a more prolonged action of chewing or gnawing. It is often used in informal contexts and can be combined with food items or challenges.

啃 or something close to it

啃 (kěn) vs 咬 (yǎo) — use 啃 when emphasizing a persistent or determined effort, while 咬 refers more generally to biting.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 啃 with 咬 (yǎo) when describing eating habits. For example, saying '我在啃苹果' (Wǒ zài kěn píngguǒ - I am gnawing an apple) is incorrect; the correct verb would be 吃 (chī).

Write 啃

啃

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 啃

啃 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 4 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我让马低下头____吃春天的青草。

I let the horse drop his head to crop the spring grass.

Example Sentences for 啃 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我让马低下头啃吃春天的青草。

wǒ ràng mǎ dī xià tóu kěn chī chūn tiān de qīng cǎo。

I let the horse drop his head to crop the spring grass.
2
那狗在啃骨头。

nà gǒu zài kěn gǔ tóu。

The dog was gnawing a bone.
3
木虱会侵害活体植物并啃咬它们的茎。

mù shī huì qīn hài huó tǐ zhí wù bìng kěn yǎo tā mén de jīng。

Woodlice attack living plants and gnaw at the stems.
4
饿狗贪婪地啃食着人的尸体。

è gǒu tān lán dì kěn shí zháo rén de shī tǐ。

Starving dogs feasted on the human corpses.
5
我不想像平时那样啃那些数学题和物理题.

wǒ bù xiǎng xiàng píng shí nà yàng kěn nà xiē shù xué tí hé wù lǐ tí.

I don't feel like working on those maths and physics problems at home as usual.
6
我可以看见那只狗在花园中啃着一块骨头玩.

wǒ kě yǐ kàn jiàn nà zhī gǒu zài huā yuán zhōng kěn zháo yī kuài gǔ tóu wán.

I could see the dog in the garden, worrying at a bone.
7
我数了数，有34只野山羊在啃草。

wǒ shù le shù， ，34 yǒu 34 zhī yě shān yáng zài。

I counted 34 wild goats grazing.
8
他在不平的地上绊了一跤,摔了个嘴啃地.

tā zài bù píng de dì shàng bàn le yī jiāo, , shuāi le gè zuǐ kěn.

He stumbled on the uneven ground and fell flat on his face.
9
我啃法棍面包时，崩掉了一颗牙！

wǒ kěn fǎ gùn miàn bāo shí， ， bēng diào le yī kē！

I lost a tooth while chomping on a French baguette!
10
5头奶牛在一棵大橡树旁悠闲自在地啃着青草。

5 5 tóu nǎi niú zài yī kē dà xiàng shù páng yōu xián zì zài dì kěn zháo qīng。

Five cows graze serenely around a massive oak.

Word Family of 啃

Words Containing This Character2
啃kěnto gnaw
嘴啃泥to fall flat on one's face
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 啃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 啃

You might hear 啃骨头 (kěn gǔtóu), meaning 'to gnaw on bones,' often referring to eating meat with bones.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 啃?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.