caai3嘬
Jyutpingcaai3
Yalechaai
Definition
To gnaw or suck.
colloquialdaily actionsbody
How it's used
While this character appears in dictionaries with a literary definition, it is used in spoken Cantonese to describe the physical action of sucking or gnawing on an object. It often carries a slightly informal or childish connotation when describing habits like chewing on pens or sucking on fingers. It is distinct from 吸 which is more commonly used for inhaling or absorbing liquids.
Examples
He loves sucking on his pacifier and won't let go.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 啜, which is specifically used for kissing or sucking on a straw to drink liquid. Use 嘬 when the focus is on the repetitive gnawing or sucking motion of the mouth against a solid object.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
