吸 stroke order 吸 chinese writing meaning 吸 chinese character tattoos

The Chinese Character: 吸

The character "吸" is a dynamic verb in Chinese, with a core meaning centered around "to inhale," "to breathe in," "to absorb," or "to draw in."

1. Stroke Order and Writing

"吸" is a left-right structure character with 6 strokes. The correct stroke order is as follows:

Stroke Order:

Left Radical (口 - kǒu):

1. 丨 (Vertical) - Left vertical stroke.

2. 𠃍 (Horizontal折) - Top and right side in one stroke.

3. 一 (Horizontal) - Bottom closing stroke.

Right Component (及 - jí):
4. 丿 (Left-falling) - The long, sweeping stroke from the top-right.
5. ㇋ (Horizontal折撇) - A complex stroke: write a short horizontal, turn down diagonally to the left, and end with a slight curve.
6. ㇏ (Right-falling) - The final dot stroke to the right.

(Tip: Watching a stroke order animation for "吸" will make this sequence much clearer.)

2. Writing Meaning and Structure

The character "吸" is a phono-semantic compound character (形声字, xíngshēngzì), where one part suggests the meaning and the other suggests the sound.

• Left Radical (形旁): 口 (kǒu) - This is the "mouth" radical. It immediately tells us that the character's meaning is related to a function of the mouth or an opening.

• Right Component (声旁): 及 (jí) - This component primarily provides the pronunciation clue. "及" (jí) sounds similar to "吸" (xī), especially in classical Chinese. Additionally, "及" means "to reach" or "to catch up to," which implies an action of drawing something toward you.

Literal Interpretation of the Structure:
The combination creates the idea of "using the mouth to draw something in." This perfectly captures its core meaning of inhalation and absorption.

3. Meaning and Usage

The meaning of "吸" extends from its literal, physical action to more figurative and scientific applications.

Core Meaning: To inhale; to suck; to absorb; to draw in.

1. Literal Meaning: Breathing and Sucking

• 呼吸 (hūxī) - To breathe.

• Breakdown: 呼 (hū) means "to exhale," 吸 (xī) means "to inhale." Together, they form the complete cycle of "breathing."

• Example: 深呼吸可以帮助你放松。(Shēn hūxī kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ fàngsōng.) - Deep breathing can help you relax.

• 吸烟 (xīyān) - To smoke (cigarettes); literally "to inhale smoke."

• 吸管 (xīguǎn) - Drinking straw; literally "sucking tube."

2. Scientific and Physical Meaning: Absorption

• 吸收 (xīshōu) - To absorb; to assimilate.

• Example: 植物吸收阳光。(Zhíwù xīshōu yángguāng.) - Plants absorb sunlight.

• Example: 吸收知识 (xīshōu zhīshi) - To absorb knowledge (figurative).

• 吸水 (xīshuǐ) - To absorb water.

• 吸尘器 (xīchénqì) - Vacuum cleaner; literally "dust sucker."

3. Figurative and Modern Meaning: Attraction

• 吸引 (xīyǐn) - To attract; to fascinate; to draw interest.

• Example: 这部电影吸引了大量观众。(Zhè bù diànyǐng xīyǐnle dàliàng guānzhòng.) - This movie attracted a large audience.

• 吸粉 (xīfěn) - A modern slang term meaning "to gain fans" (on social media, etc.).