噎 meaning and stroke order
To choke; to hiccup
How to write 噎, stroke by stroke
15 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 噎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to choke (on)
- to choke up
- to suffocate
How 噎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 壹 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 噎
噎 combines 口 (mouth) with 壹 (yī), which gives the sound. Picture one big bite stuck in your mouth, and you choke.
噎 (yē) describes food getting stuck in the throat, and it can also mean being left speechless by someone's blunt words. It often appears as 噎住 (yēzhù). Example: 慢点吃，别噎着。(Màn diǎn chī, bié yēzhe.) Eat slowly, don't choke.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 噎 with 咽 (yàn, to swallow) because both relate to the throat. 噎 means the food will not go down, while 咽 means it does go down. Also note the tone: 噎 is first tone yē, not yì like its sound part 壹.
Common words with 噎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 噎住 | yēzhù | to choke (on); to choke off (in speech) |
Questions about 噎
How many strokes are in 噎?
噎 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 噎 mean?
噎 (yē) means to choke; to hiccup. A common word with it is 噎住 (yēzhù), meaning "to choke (on); to choke off (in speech)".
How do you pronounce 噎?
噎 is pronounced yē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 噎?
The radical of 噎 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 噎 under this radical.
Can 噎 be used for being stuck for words?
Yes. In speech, 他一句话把我噎住了 (Tā yí jù huà bǎ wǒ yēzhù le) means his remark left me unable to reply. It suggests the words were so blunt you could not answer.
Is there a common idiom with 噎?
Yes, 因噎废食 (yīn yē fèi shí) means giving up eating because you once choked. It describes stopping something useful out of fear of a small risk.