吞 (tūn) - To swallow, to gulp down & to engulf, to annex

吞Tone 1

tūn ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 口

婷婉

吞 · tūn

To swallow, to gulp down;

to engulf, to annex;

to endure, to suppress (as in emotions).

To swallow, to gulp downto engulf, to annexto endure, to suppress (as in emotions).

Usage highlights

SwallowDevourAnnexEngulfSwallow one's angerGulp down

Synonyms

  • 咽— to swallow
  • 吞噬— to devour, to swallow up
  • 并吞— to annex, to swallow up

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out, to vomit
  • 呕— to vomit

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He swallowed the pill (吞下药丸).
  • The large company swallowed up the smaller one (吞并了 smaller company).
  • She swallowed her anger (吞下怒火).
  • The waves engulfed the ship (吞没了 ship).

Collocations

  • Swallow(吞下)
  • Devour(吞食)
  • Annex(吞并)
  • Engulf(吞没)
  • Swallow one's anger(吞声)
  • Gulp down(吞服)

Idioms

  • Swallow a date whole (囫囵吞枣) — to do something without understanding it
  • Swallow one's voice and hold back one's anger (忍气吞声) — to endure humiliation
  • Swallow mountains and rivers (气吞山河) — full of daring and confidence
  • Wolf down (狼吞虎咽) — to eat greedily

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese medicine, proper swallowing is associated with smooth qi flow.
  • The character appears in idioms about enduring hardship or acting without proper consideration.
  • Historically used in contexts of territorial expansion through annexation.

FAQ