jit6嚙啮

Jyutpingjit6

Yaleyiht

Definition

To gnaw, or to grind one's teeth in one's sleep.

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How it's used

This character is primarily used in formal or literary contexts to describe the act of gnawing or biting. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use 咬 to express the general action of biting or chewing. The specific usage of 嚙牙 for grinding teeth is a technical or descriptive term that is rarely heard in casual conversation.

Examples

keoi5佢fan3瞓gaau3覺go2嗰zan6陣seng4成jat6日jit6嚙ngaa4牙。

He often grinds his teeth while sleeping.

zek3隻lou5老syu2鼠hai2喺dou6度jit6嚙gan2緊faai3塊muk6木baan2板。

The mouse is gnawing on the wooden board.

Common phrases

jit6嚙ngaa4牙

to grind teeth

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 咬, which is the universal word for bite. Using 嚙 in daily speech will sound overly formal or archaic to native speakers.