咬 (yǎo) - to bite & to gnaw

咬Tone 3

yǎo ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

嬿一

咬 · yǎo

to bite;

to gnaw;

to grip with teeth;

to pronounce clearly;

to be nitpicky;

to incriminate others

to biteto gnawto grip with teeth

Usage highlights

bite tightlybite teethbite lipsbite and not let gobite the bulletbite and frame someone

Synonyms

  • 啃— to gnaw, to nibble
  • 噬— to bite, to devour (more literary)

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out
  • 放— to release, to let go

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog bit the bone (狗咬骨头).
  • She bit her lip nervously (咬嘴唇).
  • He pronounced each word clearly (咬字清楚).
  • Stop nitpicking over minor details (别咬文嚼字).

Collocations

  • bite tightly(咬紧)
  • bite teeth(咬牙)
  • bite lips(咬唇)
  • bite and not let go(咬住不放)
  • bite the bullet(咬紧牙关)
  • bite and frame someone(咬人)

Idioms

  • Bite the bullet and persevere(咬紧牙关)
  • Nitpicking over words(咬文嚼字)
  • Bite each other like dogs(狗咬狗)
  • Bite off more than one can chew(一口咬定)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, 'biting' can symbolize determination and endurance, as in 'bite the bullet' (咬紧牙关).
  • The character appears in idioms describing petty squabbles or mutual accusations, like 'dogs biting each other' (狗咬狗).
  • It can represent clear articulation in speech and performance arts, where 'biting words' (咬字) means precise pronunciation.

FAQ