咬

齩
yǎo
交 + 口
HSK 2.0Level 5
HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

yǎo (verb) to bite; to nip

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 交 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 交

About

咬 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 口 'mouth' on the left indicates the character's relation to mouth and teeth, while the phonetic component 交 (jiāo) on the right, which means 'to cross' or 'intersect', provides its pronunciation. The core meaning is the physical action of biting or gripping with the teeth, performed by humans, animals, or insects. In extended use, it metaphorically describes machine parts gripping tightly like interlocking gears, or a person stubbornly clinging to a statement or position in an argument without yielding.

Example Sentences Hide

狗咬了我的手。

Gǒu yǎo le wǒ de shǒu.

The dog bit my hand.

苹果被咬了一口。

Píngguǒ bèi yǎo le yī kǒu.

The apple was bitten.

他咬牙坚持完成了比赛。

Tā yǎoyá jiānchí wánchéng le bǐsài.

He gritted his teeth and persevered to finish the race.

蚊子咬得我睡不着觉。

Wénzi yǎo de wǒ shuì bù zháo jiào.

The mosquito bites kept me awake.

这只小狗喜欢咬玩具。

Zhè zhǐ xiǎo gǒu xǐhuan yǎo wánjù.

This puppy likes to chew on toys.

被毒蛇咬伤需要立刻就医。

Bèi dúshé yǎoshāng xūyào lìkè jiùyī.

Being bitten by a poisonous snake requires immediate medical attention.

他说话总是喜欢咬文嚼字。

Tā shuōhuà zǒngshì xǐhuan yǎowén-jiáozì.

He always likes to speak in a pedantic manner, nitpicking over words.

面对困难，我们必须咬紧牙关，绝不放弃。

Miàn duì kùnnan, wǒmen bìxū yǎojǐn yáguān, jué bù fàngqì.

In the face of difficulties, we must grit our teeth and never give up.

Related Characters

Component: 交

较 效 校 胶 郊 狡 绞 蛟 饺 跤 佼 皎 铰 姣

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Example Words

叮咬 咬牙 咬牙切齿 咬伤 咬合 咬嚼 咬字 咬定 咬耳朵 噬咬 撕咬 狗咬狗 程咬金 轻咬