吹 meaning and stroke order
To blow; to play a wind instrument; to blast
How to write 吹, stroke by stroke
7 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
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Meaning of 吹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to blow
- to play a wind instrument
- to blast
- to puff
- to boast
- to brag
How 吹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 欠 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吹
吹 combines 口 (mouth) with 欠, which is the phonetic part here. Picture a mouth puffing out air, and you have the idea of blowing.
吹 is used for wind blowing, blowing out candles, blow-drying hair, and playing wind instruments. It also means to brag, as in 吹牛 (chuīniú). Example: 风很大，吹得我很冷。(Fēng hěn dà, chuī de wǒ hěn lěng.) The wind is strong and it's making me cold.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 吹 with 欢 (huān, happy) or 欧 (ōu), since all three have 欠 on the right. Remember that only 吹 has the mouth 口 on the left, because you blow with your mouth.
Common words with 吹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吹牛 | chuīniú | to talk big; to brag; to shoot off one's mouth; (dialect) to chat idly | HSK 7-9 |
| 吹捧 | chuīpěng | to flatter; to laud sb's accomplishments | HSK 7-9 |
| 吹了 | chuī le | failed; busted; to have not succeeded; to have died | HSK 7-9 |
| 吹箫 | chuīxiāo | to play the xiao 簫|箫[xiao1], a vertical bamboo flute; (literary) to beg on the streets (ab | |
| 吹口哨 | chuīkǒushào | to whistle | |
| 吹嘘 | chuīxū | to brag | |
| 吹喇叭 | chuīlǎba | (lit.) blowing the trumpet; (fig.) to praise sb | |
| 鼓吹 | gǔchuī | to agitate for; to enthusiastically promote | |
| 吹气 | chuīqì | to blow air (into) | |
| 吹奏 | chuīzòu | to play (wind instruments) | |
| 吹风 | chuīfēng | to let the wind blow on oneself; to be exposed to the wind; to air out (a room); to blow a | |
| 吹毛求疵 | chuīmáoqiúcī | lit. to blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect (idiom); fig. to be fastidi | |
| 吹拂 | chuīfú | to brush; to caress (of breeze) |
吹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吹
How many strokes are in 吹?
吹 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吹 mean?
吹 (chuī) means to blow; to play a wind instrument; to blast. A common word with it is 吹牛 (chuīniú), meaning "to talk big; to brag; to shoot off one's mouth; (dialect) to chat idly".
How do you pronounce 吹?
吹 is pronounced chuī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吹?
The radical of 吹 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吹 under this radical.
Is 吹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吹 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 吹了 mean when talking about relationships or plans?
吹了 (chuī le) is a casual way to say something fell through or failed. 他们吹了 (tāmen chuī le) usually means a couple broke up, and 这件事吹了 means the deal or plan is off.
How do I say 'the wind is blowing' or 'blow-dry hair' with 吹?
For wind, say 刮风 (guā fēng) for windy weather in general, or 风吹 (fēng chuī) when the wind blows on something. For hair, say 吹头发 (chuī tóufa), and a hair dryer is 吹风机 (chuīfēngjī).