吸 meaning and stroke order
To breathe; to suck in; to absorb
How to write 吸, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 吸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to breathe
- to suck in
- to absorb
- to inhale
How 吸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 及 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吸
吸 is built from 口 (mouth), the meaning part, and 及 (jí), the sound part. Picture a mouth on the left pulling air in until it reaches (及) all the way inside.
吸 (xī) appears mostly in compounds about taking something in, whether air, liquid, knowledge, or attention. Common ones are 呼吸 (hūxī, to breathe), 吸收 (xīshōu, to absorb), and 吸引 (xīyǐn, to attract). Example: 这本书很吸引我。(Zhè běn shū hěn xīyǐn wǒ.) This book really appeals to me.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 吸 with 极 (jí) or 级 (jí), which share the 及 part but have 木 or 纟 on the left. Also remember 吸 is first tone xī, not the second tone jí of its phonetic component.
Common words with 吸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 呼吸 | hūxī | to breathe | HSK 4 |
| 吸引 | xīyǐn | to attract; to appeal to; to fascinate | HSK 4 |
| 吸烟 | xīyān | to smoke | HSK 4 |
| 吸收 | xīshōu | to absorb; to assimilate | HSK 4 |
| 吸管 | xīguǎn | (drinking) straw; pipette | HSK 4 |
| 吸毒 | xīdú | to take drugs | HSK 6 |
| 吸取 | xīqǔ | to absorb; to draw (a lesson, insight etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 吸纳 | xīnà | to take in; to absorb | HSK 7-9 |
| 吸血鬼 | xīxuèguǐ | leech; bloodsucking vermin | |
| 深呼吸 | shēnhūxī | to take a deep breath | |
| 吸引力 | xīyǐnlì | attractive force (such as gravitation); sex appeal | |
| 吸气 | xīqì | to inhale; to breathe in | |
| 吸入 | xīrù | to breathe in; to suck in | |
| 吸血 | xīxuè | to suck blood |
吸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吸
How many strokes are in 吸?
吸 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吸 mean?
吸 (xī) means to breathe; to suck in; to absorb. A common word with it is 呼吸 (hūxī), meaning "to breathe".
How do you pronounce 吸?
吸 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吸?
The radical of 吸 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吸 under this radical.
Is 吸 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吸 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 吸 and 呼?
吸 (xī) means to breathe in, while 呼 (hū) means to breathe out. Together they form 呼吸 (hūxī), the everyday word for breathing.
Should I say 吸烟 or 抽烟 for smoking?
Both mean to smoke. 抽烟 (chōuyān) is more common in everyday speech, while 吸烟 (xīyān) is more formal and appears on signs like 禁止吸烟 (jìnzhǐ xīyān, no smoking).