啜

chuò

叕 + 口

Definitions

chuò (literary) to drink; to sip; to sob

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 叕

About

The character 啜 is built as a phono-semantic compound, with the radical 口 (mouth) on the left indicating actions related to the oral cavity, and the phonetic 叕 on the right. Its primary, literal sense is the act of sipping, drinking slowly, or tasting small amounts of liquid, tea, broth, or wine, for example. A secondary, emotionally charged meaning describes sobbing or weeping with short, catching breaths, a quiet, suppressed sorrow that frequently appears in literature. Thus, 啜 bridges two disparate uses: refined liquid consumption and a visible sign of grief or distress.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小女孩轻声啜泣。

Xiǎo nǚhái qīngshēng chuòqì.

The little girl sobbed softly.

老人啜饮着清茶。

Lǎorén chuòyǐn zhe qīngchá.

The old man sipped the light tea.

他一边看书一边啜咖啡。

Tā yībiān kànshū yībiān chuò kāfēi.

He sips coffee while reading a book.

在寒冷的夜晚，她啜泣不止。

Zài hánlěng de yèwǎn, tā chuòqì bùzhǐ.

On the cold night, she sobbed incessantly.

母亲耐心地啜饮着中药。

Mǔqīn nàixīn de chuòyǐn zhe zhōngyào.

The mother patiently sipped the traditional Chinese medicine.

他啜了一小口酒，然后皱了皱眉。

Tā chuò le yī xiǎo kǒu jiǔ, ránhòu zhòu le zhòu méi.

He took a small sip of wine, then frowned.

尽管努力掩饰，她还是忍不住啜泣起来。

Jǐnguǎn nǔlì yǎnshì, tā háishì rěn bù zhù chuòqì qǐlái.

Despite trying to hide it, she couldn't help but start sobbing.

在寂静的图书馆里，他悄悄啜饮咖啡的声音显得格外清晰。

Zài jìjìng de túshūguǎn lǐ, tā qiāoqiāo chuòyǐn kāfēi de shēngyīn xiǎndé géwài qīngxī.

In the quiet library, the sound of him sipping coffee seemed particularly clear.

Related Characters

Component: 叕

Component: 口

啜