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咽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
咽yānnarrow passHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yānto choke (in crying)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yānthroatHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yānpharynxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yānto swallowHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yànnarrow passHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yànto choke (in crying)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yànthroatHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yànpharynxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yànto swallowHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yènarrow passHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yèto choke (in crying)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yèthroatHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yèpharynxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
咽yèto swallowHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #10219, Very Hard
yàn(yan4)yan
primary
 T4
  1. 1narrow pass
  2. 2to choke (in crying)
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March 24, 2026

咽yàn(yan4)

The character 咽 (yān) primarily refers to the throat or pharynx, reflecting its anatomical significance. It can also describe the action of choking, especially in the context of crying or swallowing. This word is used in both medical and everyday situations, emphasizing the physiological aspect of the throat.

Strokes9Radical口Frequency#10219DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the throat is considered a vital passage for Qi (energy) and is linked to overall health. Problems with the throat, such as sore throat or choking, can symbolize deeper health issues in Chinese cultural contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person choking on a piece of food while trying to cry for help. The shape of the character 咽 resembles a throat constricted by a tight grip, representing the act of choking. The '口' (mouth) radical suggests the involvement of the mouth in swallowing, while '咽' sounds like 'yān', akin to a gasp for air.

Meanings of 咽

yàn(yan4)
primary
1narrow pass
2to choke (in crying)
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 咽

咽Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10219Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 咽

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Podcast: 咽

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AI Study Notes for 咽

Quick Contrast

咽 (yàn) vs 嚥 (yān) — use 咽 for the action of choking or the throat in everyday contexts, while 嚥 is more specific to the action of swallowing.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 咽 with its variant 嚥 (yàn), which specifically means to swallow. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, but may appear more frequently in medical discussions. Remember to pronounce it with the first tone to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 咽 is not included in official HSK levels, it connects well with vocabulary related to health and anatomy. Students at higher levels should focus on its usage in medical contexts and practice constructing sentences about throat-related ailments.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 咽 and 嚥 due to their similar pronunciations and meanings. For example, saying '我咽东西' (I choke on things) instead of the correct '我嚥东西' (I swallow things) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 咽

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Etymology of 咽

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 因 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嚥.

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Origin

咽 = 口 + 因. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 咽

IDS Structure⿰口因
咽Full Character
=
口kou3
left
因yin1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 咽?

How to say narrow pass in Chinese

“narrow pass” in Chinese is咽yān

The character 咽 (yān) primarily refers to the throat or pharynx, reflecting its anatomical significance. It can also describe the action of choking, especially in the context of crying or swallowing. This word is used in both medical and everyday situations, emphasizing the physiological aspect of the throat.

When to use 咽

Be careful not to confuse 咽 with its variant 嚥 (yàn), which specifically means to swallow. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, but may appear more frequently in medical discussions. Remember to pronounce it with the first tone to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

咽 or something close to it

咽 (yàn) vs 嚥 (yān) — use 咽 for the action of choking or the throat in everyday contexts, while 嚥 is more specific to the action of swallowing.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 咽 and 嚥 due to their similar pronunciations and meanings. For example, saying '我咽东西' (I choke on things) instead of the correct '我嚥东西' (I swallow things) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 咽

咽

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

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Grammar Patterns of 咽

咽 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 5 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 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我狼吞虎____地吃着那一大块牛排。

I chomped hungrily through the large steak.

Example Sentences for 咽 (10)

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1
我狼吞虎咽地吃着那一大块牛排。

wǒ láng tūn hǔ yān dì chī zháo nà yī dà kuài niú pái。

I chomped hungrily through the large steak.
2
高浓度的臭氧会对眼睛、鼻子和咽喉有刺激作用。

gāo nóng dù de chòu yǎng huì duì yǎn jīng、 、 bí zǐ hé yān hóu yǒu cì jī zuò。

In heavy concentrations, ozone is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat.
3
有时他会倒嚼我们喂给他吃的食物，因为他无法吞咽。

yǒu shí tā huì dǎo jiáo wǒ mén wèi gěi tā chī de shí wù， ， yīn wéi tā wú fǎ tūn。

Sometimes he regurgitates the food we give him because he cannot swallow.
4
远远地能听到风笛的呜咽。

yuǎn yuǎn dì néng tīng dào fēng dí de wū yān。

The wail of the bagpipe could be heard in the distance.
5
她躺在楼梯底部，痛得呜咽着。

tā tǎng zài lóu tī dǐ bù， ， tòng dé wū yān。

She lay at the bottom of the stairs, whimpering in pain.
6
被拘留者抱怨提供的食物不堪下咽。

bèi jū liú zhě bào yuàn tí gōng de shí wù bù kān xià yān。

Detainees complained of being given food which is inedible.
7
他讨厌吃伦敦卖的难以下咽的比萨饼。

tā tǎo yàn chī lún dūn mài de nán yǐ xià yān de bǐ sà bǐng。

He was disgusted with the stodgy pizzas on sale in London.
8
她自己嚼咽食物的声音非常大。

tā zì jǐ jiáo yān shí wù de shēng yīn fēi cháng dà。

The sound of her own chewing and swallowing were explosively loud.
9
她呜咽着说了些什么，听不清。

tā wū yān zháo shuō le xiē shí mó， ， tīng bù。

She whimpered something inaudible.
10
什么食物都要先嚼碎再吞咽。

shí mó shí wù dū yào xiān jiáo suì zài tūn yān。

Always chew food well before swallowing it.

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Word Family of 咽

Words Containing This Character16
咽yànthroat
咽喉yānhóuthroat
咽下to swallow嚥下
吞咽to swallow吞嚥
哽咽to choke with emotion
狼吞虎咽lángtūnhǔyànto gorge oneself狼吞虎嚥
呜咽wūyèto sob嗚咽
咽气to die嚥氣
鼻咽癌cancers of the nose and throat
咽炎pharyngitis
细嚼慢咽to eat slowly (idiom)細嚼慢嚥
咽鼓管auditory tube
抽咽to sob
咽峡炎angina咽峽炎
咽峡isthmus of the fauces咽峽
咽头pharynx咽頭
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 咽

What does 咽喉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 咽

咽 (yān) refers to the throat and the act of choking, while 嚥 (yàn) specifically means to swallow.

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