Definitions

shǔn to suck

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character '吮', denoting the action of sucking, is formed from the semantic mouth radical '口' combined with the phonetic component '允', a structure that has defined its association with oral activities since its inception. While the phonetic relationship between '允' and '吮' has attenuated in modern pronunciation, the character's meaning has persisted unchanged, consistently representing the act of drawing in with the mouth across historical texts and literary usage. This semantic stability is illustrated in classical expressions such as '吮痈舐痔', where it conveys sucking, demonstrating how its etymological construction has effectively preserved its core sense over time.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

婴儿在吸乳汁。

Yīng'ér zài shǔnxī rǔzhī.

The infant is sucking milk.

他喜欢吸手指。

Tā xǐhuān shǔnxī shǒuzhǐ.

He likes to suck his fingers.

小狗在舔伤口。

Xiǎo gǒu zài shǔntiǎn shāngkǒu.

The puppy is licking its wound.

她慢慢地吸着果汁。

Tā mànman de shǔnxīzhe guǒzhī.

She slowly sips the juice.

孩子吸棒棒糖很开心。

Háizi shǔnxī bàngbàngtáng hěn kāixīn.

The child is happy sucking on a lollipop.

不要吸被污染的水。

Bùyào shǔnxī bèi wūrǎn de shuǐ.

Do not suck polluted water.

植物通过根部吸水份。

Zhíwù tōngguò gēnbù shǔnxī shuǐfèn.

Plants absorb water through their roots.

他在黑暗中吸新鲜空气,试图平静下来。

Tā zài hēi'àn zhōng shǔnxī xīnxiān kōngqì, shìtú píngjìng xiàlái.

He sucks in fresh air in the darkness, trying to calm down.