ziu6嚼
Jyutpingziu6
Yalejiuh
Definition
To chew; to masticate food with the teeth.
neutralfooddaily actions
How it's used
While 嚼 is the standard term for chewing, it is rarely used as a standalone verb in daily speech. Most speakers prefer the compound 咬 or the specific phrase 咬碎 when describing the action of breaking food down with teeth. You will mostly encounter 嚼 in formal contexts or as part of the common compound 咀嚼.
Examples
Chew slowly, there is no need to rush.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 嚼 with 咬, which simply means to bite. 咬 is the general action of applying pressure with teeth, whereas 嚼 specifically implies the repetitive grinding motion required to masticate food.
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.
