噬 meaning and stroke order
To bite, to gnaw; to snap at
How to write 噬, stroke by stroke
16 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 噬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to devour
- to bite
How 噬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 筮 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 噬
噬 has a mouth 口 on the left for biting, and 筮 (shì) on the right gives the sound. Picture a mouth snapping shut on the bamboo divination sticks of 筮 and chewing them up.
噬 is a literary, formal character and rarely appears alone in speech. You will mostly see it in words like 吞噬 (tūnshì) and in idioms or news writing. Example: 大火吞噬了整座房子。(Dàhuǒ tūnshì le zhěng zuò fángzi.) The fire engulfed the whole house.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 口 and write 筮, which is a different character meaning divination with stalks. In everyday speech, use 咬 (yǎo) for to bite, since 噬 sounds bookish.
Common words with 噬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吞噬 | tūnshì | to swallow; to engulf |
噬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 噬
How many strokes are in 噬?
噬 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 噬 mean?
噬 (shì) means to bite, to gnaw; to snap at. A common word with it is 吞噬 (tūnshì), meaning "to swallow; to engulf".
How do you pronounce 噬?
噬 is pronounced shì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 噬?
The radical of 噬 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 噬 under this radical.
What is the difference between 噬 and 咬?
咬 (yǎo) is the normal spoken word for bite, as in 狗咬人 (the dog bites someone). 噬 is written and formal, and it often carries a sense of devouring or destroying.
Are there common idioms with 噬?
Yes. 噬脐莫及 (shì qí mò jí) means it is too late for regret, like trying to bite your own navel. 反噬 (fǎnshì) means to turn and bite back, or a backlash.