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嚼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
嚼
jiáo
to chew
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jiáo
to prattle, to be glib
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jiáo
also pr. [jué]
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jiáo
also pr. [jue2]
HSK 7, unknown, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jué
to chew
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jué
to prattle, to be glib
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jué
also pr. [jué]
HSK 7, v, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
嚼
jué
also pr. [jue2]
HSK 7, unknown, 20 strokes, radical 口, rank #4826, Very Hard
jiáo(jiao2)jiao
primary
T2
1to chew
2to prattle, to be glib
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
嚼jiáo(jiao2)
The character 嚼 (jiáo) primarily means 'to chew' and can also refer to 'prattling' or 'being glib.' It conveys a sense of repetitive or laborious action, often related to chewing food. In informal contexts, it can imply talking excessively or without much substance.
Strokes20Radical口Frequency#4826DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese culture, chewing food thoroughly is considered a sign of good manners, emphasizing the importance of savoring flavors rather than hastily consuming meals.
Memory tip
Imagine a person chewing gum while talking non-stop, their mouth constantly moving as if they can't stop 'chewing' on their words. The character 嚼 has a mouth radical (口) which emphasizes the action of talking and chewing.
Meanings of 嚼
jiáo(jiao2)
primary
1to chew
2to prattle, to be glib
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 嚼 means.
About 嚼
嚼Simplified
20Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#4826Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 嚼
Podcast: 嚼
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
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AI study notes for 嚼
Quick Contrast
咀嚼 (zǔjué) vs 嚼 (jiáo): Use 咀嚼 for a more formal or technical context of chewing, while 嚼 is more casual and can imply excessive talking.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 嚼 (jiáo) with other similar-sounding words. Be cautious with the tone; using the wrong tone can alter the meaning entirely. It's commonly used in casual conversations, and a common collocation is 嚼口香糖 (jiáo kǒuxiāngtáng) meaning 'to chew gum.'
HSK Study Tips
Although 嚼 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other food-related vocabulary that might be covered at higher levels. Focus on understanding its dual meanings and practice using it in both contexts: chewing food and talking.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 嚼 (jiáo) with 聊 (liáo), which means 'to chat.' A common mistake is saying '我嚼天' (wǒ jiáo tiān, 'I chew the sky') instead of '我聊天' (wǒ liáo tiān, 'I chat').
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 嚼
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How well do you know 嚼?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 嚼 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.
嚼 = 口 + 爵. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 嚼
IDS Structure⿰口爵
嚼Full character
=
口kou3
left
爵jue2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 嚼?
How to say to chew in Chinese
“to chew” in Chinese is嚼jiáo
The character 嚼 (jiáo) primarily means 'to chew' and can also refer to 'prattling' or 'being glib.' It conveys a sense of repetitive or laborious action, often related to chewing food. In informal contexts, it can imply talking excessively or without much substance.
When to use 嚼
Learners often confuse 嚼 (jiáo) with other similar-sounding words. Be cautious with the tone; using the wrong tone can alter the meaning entirely. It's commonly used in casual conversations, and a common collocation is 嚼口香糖 (jiáo kǒuxiāngtáng) meaning 'to chew gum.'
嚼 or something close to it
咀嚼 (zǔjué) vs 嚼 (jiáo): Use 咀嚼 for a more formal or technical context of chewing, while 嚼 is more casual and can imply excessive talking.
What learners get wrong
Learners sometimes confuse 嚼 (jiáo) with 聊 (liáo), which means 'to chat.' A common mistake is saying '我嚼天' (wǒ jiáo tiān, 'I chew the sky') instead of '我聊天' (wǒ liáo tiān, 'I chat').
Write 嚼
嚼
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Practice writing 嚼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 嚼
嚼 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
丹尼尔倚在沙发上，嘴里还在____着苹果。
Daniel leaned back on the sofa, still chewing on his apple.
