Definitions
to choke (because of swallowing the wrong way)
to irritate the nose; to choke (of smoke, smell etc); pungent; (coll.) (Tw) to shout at sb; to scold; to speak out against sb
About
The character "呛" is constructed through the phonetic-semantic principle, integrating the mouth radical 口 with the phonetic element 仓, a simplified form of the traditional character "嗆" which uses 倉 for its sound component. Its etymological foundation lies in denoting the physical act of choking, specifically from inhaling substances like water or smoke, a meaning directly inferred from the mouth-related radical. This primary sense gradually broadened through metaphorical application to describe verbal behavior, encompassing the act of speaking in a manner that is irritating or abruptly confrontational, thus extending the concept of physical irritation into the realm of discourse. The structural integrity of the character, maintaining its core components across forms, has consistently anchored these evolving meanings to the original concept of throat or respiratory distress.
Example Sentences Hide
他被烟呛得咳嗽起来。
这辣椒味真呛人。
炒菜时油烟很呛。
浓烟呛得我睁不开眼。
他被水呛到了。
不要跑着吃东西，容易呛着。
他的发言被观众的嘘声呛了回去。
这种辛辣的批评呛得他哑口无言。