噛 (niè) - To bite & to gnaw

噛Tone 4

niè ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

念柠

噛 · niè

To bite;

to gnaw;

to chew;

to nibble.

Often used to describe the action of biting or chewing with teeth.

To biteto gnawto chew

Usage highlights

Bite the bulletGnaw on a boneBite one's lipChew through somethingNibble on foodBite nails

Synonyms

  • 咬— to bite (more common standard Chinese)
  • 啃— to gnaw, to nibble
  • 嚼— to chew

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out
  • 咽— to swallow

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog gnawed on the bone (狗在噛骨头).
  • She bit her lip nervously (她紧张地噛着嘴唇).
  • The rodent chewed through the wire (啮齿动物噛断了电线).
  • He was biting his nails (他在噛指甲).

Collocations

  • Bite the bullet(噛子弹)
  • Gnaw on a bone(噛骨头)
  • Bite one's lip(噛嘴唇)
  • Chew through something(噛穿)
  • Nibble on food(噛食物)
  • Bite nails(噛指甲)

Idioms

  • Bite the bullet and endure(噛牙忍受)
  • Gnaw away at one's worries(噛噬忧虑)
  • Bite back tears(噛住眼泪)
  • Chew over a problem(噛嚼问题)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used in both literal and metaphorical contexts to describe persistence or endurance through difficulty.
  • In Japanese, this character is the standard form for 'to bite' (kam-u), though it's considered non-standard or variant in modern Chinese.
  • Often appears in contexts describing animals or people under stress or concentration.

FAQ