嚼

• Pinyin: jiáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 嚼 = 口 (mouth) + 爵 (phonetic) — to chew with the mouth

Meaning

To chew; to masticate. The action of grinding food with teeth.

Used both literally for chewing food and figuratively for turning something over in one's mind or discussing something repeatedly. Common phrases include 细嚼慢咽 (chew carefully and swallow slowly) and 咀嚼 (to chew; to mull over).

Examples

1. 老人牙口不好，吃东西要慢慢嚼。 The elderly person's teeth aren't good, so they need to chew food slowly.
2. 她一边嚼着口香糖，一边看手机。 She chewed gum while looking at her phone.
3. 这段话值得反复嚼一嚼，品味其中的深意。 This passage is worth chewing over repeatedly to appreciate its deeper meaning.

Usage Guide

Context: eating, everyday, metaphorical

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 吃饭要细嚼慢咽。(You should chew your food carefully and swallow slowly.)
• 把口香糖嚼完再说话。(Finish chewing your gum before talking.)

Don't Say

• 用'嚼'描述喝液体 (Don't use 嚼 for drinking liquids — it's for chewing solid food; use 喝 or 吞 for liquids)

Origin & History

The character 嚼 contains 口 (mouth radical), indicating its connection to oral activity. The right component provides the phonetic element.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal