HanziGuru.吸 · xī
吸
xī[xi1]Tone 1

to breathe, to suck in, to absorb

HSK 4
Guru Deep Dive

English · to breathe, to suck in, to absorb

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:6
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (mouth) must be compact and tucked into the upper-left quadrant, leaving ample room for the right component (edge/inhalation) so the character does not tilt.
1. Meaning

to inhale, to breathe in, to suck

to absorb (liquid, moisture, or knowledge)to attract (attention or interest)
VerbNeutral#biology#actions#senses
Sample Usage
  • 请深呼吸。
    qǐng shēn hū xī.
    Please take a deep breath.
  • 海绵可以吸水。
    hǎimián kěyǐ xī shuǐ.
    Sponges can absorb water.
2. Sound
/[ɕi⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
吸
xīxi1
++
¯(55)
=xī
Initial Consonant
x
Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative
Sounds like: sh (alveolo-palatal fricative, teeth together like a gentle hiss)
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip rests behind lower front teeth while the middle of the tongue rises toward the hard palate.
Final Rhyme
i
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: ee sound as in 'see'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, level, steady pitch, exactly like a musical note held flat at the top of your vocal range without rising or falling.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with the retroflex sound shī (师) or the retroflex initial; xī is dental/alveolo-palatal with a spread smile and a high front vowel.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Hold your hand flat at a high, steady level near your forehead, like a high horizontal plateau.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (mouth) must be compact and tucked into the upper-left quadrant, leaving ample room for the right component (edge/inhalation) so the character does not tilt.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, opening, speech)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (indicates that the action involves the mouth (breathing, sucking))

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 及 (original sound: jí / xī)

A mouth (口) paired with a person reaching or catching up (及), representing drawing breath or sucking in through the mouth.

  • 口 Mouth opening
  • 及 Reaching / Phonetic clue
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the mouth symbol (口) representing breathing or sucking, and 及 (jí) which provides the sound and a sense of reaching or coming into contact.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to breathing and drawing air in through the mouth, later expanding metaphorically to absorbing liquids, gases, light, and abstract concepts like attention.

  • In classical texts, it frequently appeared in medical contexts discussing breath control and vital energy (qi).
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: キュウ (kyū) / Kun: す.う (su.u)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
흡
Sound Shift Bridge: The modern Mandarin pronunciation 'xī' maintains the ancient high front vowel ending, echoing related sound patterns in Japanese On'yomi (kyū).
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You open your MOUTH (口) and REACH out (及) with a straw to SUCK IN and INHALE a refreshing drink.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
及
jíto reach, to catch upBase phonetic component without the mouth radical.
级
jígrade, levelUses the silk thread radical (纟) instead of mouth (口).
极
jíextreme, poleUses the tree radical (木) instead of mouth (口).
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
扱(chāo / cāi)
Uses the hand radical (扌) on the left instead of the mouth radical (口), referring to handling rather than breathing.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
植物的根可以从土壤中[___]水分。
Clue: xī
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left-side mouth radical (口) with the enclosure radical, or mispronouncing the initial 'x' as an English 's' sound instead of an alveolo-palatal fricative.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see the character 吸, what action does it represent regarding the mouth?
Production: How do you write and pronounce the character for 'to inhale / to absorb' (xī)?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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