嚥 (yàn) - To swallow — the act of passing food

嚥Tone 4

yàn ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

嚥 · yàn

To swallow — the act of passing food or liquid from the mouth through the throat to the stomach.

To swallow — the act of passing food

Usage highlights

Swallow salivaSwallow foodSwallow waterDifficulty swallowingSwallow reflexSwallow one's pride

Synonyms

  • 吞— to swallow, to gulp
  • 咽— to swallow (same pronunciation, often interchangeable)

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out, to vomit

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He swallowed the pill (吞嚥藥丸).
  • She had difficulty swallowing (吞嚥困難).
  • The snake swallowed its prey whole (蛇將獵物整個嚥下).
  • Take a deep breath and swallow (深呼吸然後嚥下).

Collocations

  • Swallow saliva(嚥唾液)
  • Swallow food(嚥食物)
  • Swallow water(嚥水)
  • Difficulty swallowing(吞嚥困難)
  • Swallow reflex(吞嚥反射)
  • Swallow one's pride(嚥下驕傲)

Idioms

  • Swallow one's anger(忍氣吞聲)
  • Swallow dates whole — accept without thinking(囫圇吞棗)
  • Swallow one's pride(嚥下這口氣)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese medicine, proper swallowing is connected to the health of the esophagus and stomach meridians.
  • The character appears in expressions about enduring hardship, such as 'swallowing bitterness' (嚥苦吞甘).
  • In martial arts and meditation, swallowing is sometimes coordinated with breathing techniques.

FAQ