噎

yē

口 + 壹

Definitions

yē to choke (on); to choke up; to suffocate

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 壹

About

The character 噎 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic radical 口 (kǒu, 'mouth') on the left with the phonetic 壹 (yī) on the right. Since the mouth radical points to oral or respiratory actions, the character initially signified a physical obstruction, food stuck in the throat or a sudden stoppage of breath, including hiccups. Over time, this literal sense gave rise to a figurative one: the sensation of choking up and being unable to speak from strong feelings such as sorrow or frustration.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他吃饭时噎住了。

Tā chīfàn shí yēzhùle.

He choked while eating.

小心别噎着。

Xiǎoxīn bié yēzhe.

Be careful not to choke.

吃太快容易噎到。

Chī tài kuài róngyì yē dào.

Eating too fast can easily cause choking.

他被面包噎住了喉咙。

Tā bèi miànbāo yēzhùle hóulóng.

He choked on bread in his throat.

喝水可以帮助缓解噎住的感觉。

Hē shuǐ kěyǐ bāngzhù huǎnjiě yēzhù de gǎnjué.

Drinking water can help alleviate the feeling of choking.

如果噎住了，应该立即采取措施。

Rúguǒ yēzhùle, yīnggāi lìjí cǎiqǔ cuòshī.

If choked, measures should be taken immediately.

为了避免噎着，她细嚼慢咽。

Wèile bìmiǎn yēzhe, tā xì jiáo màn yàn.

To avoid choking, she chews slowly and swallows carefully.

在紧急情况下，噎住可能需要海姆立克急救法。

Zài jǐnjí qíngkuàng xià, yēzhù kěnéng xūyào hǎimǔlìkè jíjiù fǎ.

In emergencies, choking may require the Heimlich maneuver.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 壹

噎