jin1咽
Jyutpingjin1
Yaleyīn
Definition
To swallow; to cause food or objects to pass through the throat into the esophagus.
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How it's used
While 咽 is technically the formal term for swallowing, it is rarely used as a standalone verb in everyday speech. Most speakers prefer 吞 or 吞落肚 when describing the act of swallowing food or drink. You will mostly encounter 咽 in compound words like 哽咽 or 咽喉.
Examples
He cannot swallow, it feels like something is stuck in his throat.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 咽 with 哽, which specifically refers to the act of choking or having food stuck in the throat. Using 咽 to mean choking is incorrect.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
