About
The character '吸' is structured with the mouth radical (口) on the left and the phonetic component (及) on the right, forming a compound that originally conveyed the act of drawing breath or inhaling through the mouth. This core meaning of physically taking in air or liquid gradually broadened to include more abstract applications, such as absorbing knowledge or attracting influence, while still retaining its fundamental connection to inhalation. The consistency of its composition, with the mouth radical persistently denoting oral or respiratory functions and the phonetic element offering historical clues to its pronunciation, underscores how the character's design has remained unchanged even as its semantic range expanded over time.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我呼吸空气。
植物吸收水分。
这本书吸引了我。
她用吸管喝饮料。
海绵能吸很多水。
这个政策吸引了外资。
他试图吸引观众的注意力。
吸烟有害健康是众所周知的事实。