啃 meaning and stroke order
To gnaw; to nibble; to bite
How to write 啃, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 啃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to gnaw
- to nibble
- to bite
How 啃 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 肯 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 啃
The mouth 口 on the left tells you this is something you do with your teeth, and 肯 (kěn) on the right gives the sound. Picture a mouth that is willing (肯) to work hard on a tough bone.
啃 means to gnaw or bite at something hard, like bones, corn on the cob, or apples. It is also used figuratively for tackling something difficult, as in 啃书 (kěn shū, to study hard). Example: 小狗在啃骨头。(Xiǎo gǒu zài kěn gǔtou.) The puppy is gnawing on a bone.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write just 肯 (kěn, willing) and forget the 口 on the left, since both are pronounced kěn with the third tone. If the meaning involves teeth or biting, you need 啃.
啃 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 啃
How many strokes are in 啃?
啃 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 啃 mean?
啃 (kěn) means to gnaw; to nibble; to bite.
How do you pronounce 啃?
啃 is pronounced kěn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 啃?
The radical of 啃 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 啃 under this radical.
Is 啃 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 啃 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 啃老族 mean?
啃老族 (kěnlǎozú) describes adult children who live off their parents instead of supporting themselves. Literally it means the tribe that gnaws on the old.
What is the difference between 啃 and 咬 (yǎo)?
咬 is a general word for biting, including a single quick bite. 啃 suggests repeated gnawing or nibbling at something hard or tough, bit by bit.