About
The character 噎 is a phono-semantic compound describing the physical act of choking or having food stuck in the throat, a meaning that later extended to hiccups or a sudden blockage of breath. Structurally, it is composed of the semantic radical 口 (kǒu, mouth) on the left, which grounds the meaning in oral actions like eating or breathing, and the phonetic component 壹 (yī) on the right, which provides the pronunciation cue. Over time, its meaning broadened from literal physical obstruction in the throat or esophagus to an emotional state, being rendered speechless or choking up due to strong feelings like sorrow or frustration.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他吃饭时噎住了。
小心别噎着。
吃太快容易噎到。
他被面包噎住了喉咙。
喝水可以帮助缓解噎住的感觉。
如果噎住了，应该立即采取措施。
为了避免噎着，她细嚼慢咽。
在紧急情况下，噎住可能需要海姆立克急救法。