zeoi2 zoek3咀嚼
Jyutpingzeoi2 zoek3
Yalejéui jeuk
Definition
To chew; to grind food with one's teeth, or figuratively to ponder or think carefully.
- to chew; to grind food with one's teeth
- figurativeto ponder; to think carefully
neutralfooddaily actions
How it's used
While 咀嚼 is the standard term for chewing, it is often used metaphorically to mean contemplating or mulling over an idea or situation. In everyday casual speech, people frequently use 咬 or 咬碎 to describe the physical act of chewing food. Using 咀嚼 in a casual setting can make you sound slightly more formal or literary.
Examples
You should chew slowly when eating, don't be so rushed.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the physical act of chewing with the metaphorical sense of pondering. While 咀嚼 works for both, using it too often in casual conversation about food can sound stiff compared to the more common 咬.
Grammar color guide
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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).
