jin1嚥
Jyutpingjin1
Yaleyīn
Definition
To swallow down food or drink.
neutralbodydaily actions
How it's used
While 嚥 is technically correct for the act of swallowing, it is significantly more formal than the everyday term 吞. You will rarely hear 嚥 in casual conversation unless it is part of a set phrase like 食不下嚥 or when describing a medical difficulty in swallowing. In daily life, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 吞 to describe the physical action of putting something down the throat.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
unable to swallow food
Common mistake
Do not use 嚥 in casual speech as it sounds overly literary or clinical. Stick to 吞 for all normal contexts, such as swallowing food, water, or medicine.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
