咂

zā
匝 + 口

Definitions

zā to sip; to smack one's lips; to taste; to savor

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 匝

About

咂 is a phono-semantic compound that combines the mouth radical 口 with the phonetic 匝. The mouth radical signals an action of the lips and tongue, typically sucking, licking, or tasting to savor flavor. The phonetic 匝, which means a circle or complete revolution, evokes the repetitive encircling motion of the tongue inside the mouth during such tasting. While the character's primary meaning is the physical act of smacking the lips, it has also come to express the mental process of pondering or dwelling on the subtle nuances of a thought or a piece of literature.

Example Sentences Hide

他咂了咂嘴说真甜。

Tā zā le zā zuǐ shuō zhēn tián.

He smacked his lips and said it's really sweet.

我咂了一下那杯咖啡。

Wǒ zā le yīxià nà bēi kāfēi.

I took a sip of that cup of coffee.

孩子们咂着糖果很高兴。

Háizimen zā zhe tángguǒ hěn gāoxìng.

The children are sucking on candy happily.

他咂咂嘴，似乎在思考难题。

Tā zā zā zuǐ, sìhū zài sīkǎo nántí.

He smacked his lips, as if thinking about a difficult problem.

她仔细咂摸这句话的意思。

Tā zǐxì zāmo zhè jù huà de yìsi.

She carefully pondered the meaning of this sentence.

美食家咂了一口酒，慢慢品味。

Měishíjiā zā le yī kǒu jiǔ, mànman pǐnwèi.

The foodie took a sip of wine and slowly savored it.

爸爸咂了咂嘴，回忆童年的味道。

Bàba zā le zā zuǐ, huíyì tóngnián de wèidào.

Dad smacked his lips, recalling the taste of childhood.

听完故事，他咂摸着其中的深意。

Tīng wán gùshi, tā zāmo zhe qízhōng de shēnyì.

After listening to the story, he pondered its profound meaning.

Related Characters

Component: 匝

砸 㧜

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Example Words

咂嘴 咂摸 咂舌