吸 (xī) - to inhale & to breathe in

吸Tone 1

xī ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 口

万响

吸 · xī

to inhale;

to breathe in;

to absorb;

to suck;

to attract

to inhaleto breathe into absorb

Usage highlights

to breatheto absorbvacuum cleanerto attractto inhaleto suck

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 呼— to exhale
  • 排— to discharge
  • 吐— to spit out

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to breathe fresh air (呼吸新鲜空气).
  • Plants absorb nutrients from the soil (吸收养分).
  • The vacuum cleaner sucks up dust (吸尘器).
  • This material absorbs water quickly (吸水).

Collocations

  • to breathe(呼吸)
  • to absorb(吸收)
  • vacuum cleaner(吸尘器)
  • to attract(吸引)
  • to inhale(吸入)
  • to suck(吮吸)

Idioms

  • To breathe one's last(吸呼之间)
  • To attract attention(引人注目)
  • To draw lessons from(吸取教训)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines mouth (口) with breath/air (及), representing the physical act of breathing in.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, proper breathing (呼吸) is considered essential for health and vitality.
  • The concept extends metaphorically to absorption of knowledge and attraction of positive energy.

FAQ