Definitions

jiao2 (verb) to chew
jue2 (verb) to chew

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

嚼 is a phono-semantic compound, with the mouth radical 口 on the left indicating an oral action and the component 爵 on the right providing the phonetic cue. Its primary meaning is the physical act of chewing, grinding food to prepare it for swallowing and digestion. Figuratively, it also describes the mental process of carefully pondering or savoring information, much like slowly digesting a complex idea.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

吃饭时要细慢咽。

Chī fàn shí yào xì jiáo màn yàn.

You should chew slowly and swallow slowly when eating.

这肉太硬了,我不动。

Zhè ròu tài yìng le, wǒ jiáo bú dòng.

This meat is too tough; I can't chew it.

他在无聊地着口香糖。

Tā zài wúliáo de jiáo zhe kǒuxiāngtáng.

He is chewing gum out of boredom.

食物有助于消化。

Jǔjué shíwù yǒuzhù yú xiāohuà.

Chewing food aids digestion.

骆驼可以长时间咀干草。

Luòtuo kěyǐ cháng shíjiān jǔjué gāncǎo.

Camels can chew on hay for a long time.

别总在背后别人的舌根。

Bié zǒng zài bèihòu jiáo biérén de shégēn.

Don't always gossip about others behind their backs.

他仔细咀着这句话的含义。

Tā zǐxì jǔjué zhe zhè jù huà de hányì.

He carefully chewed over the meaning of this sentence.

这些谣言被人反复去,早已失真。

Zhèxiē yáoyán bèi rén fǎnfù jiáo lái jiáo qù, zǎo yǐ shīzhēn.

These rumors have been chewed over repeatedly and have long since lost their truth.