Chinese Word: 咽 - Talking Chinese English Dictionary

咽 (Trad.: 嚥)Polyphone (多音字)HSK 6

Total strokes: 9; Radical: 口

Pictophonetic:因 indicates the sound; 口 (mouth) conveys the meaning.

Character Formation:

⿰ Left to right
- 口 [ kǒu ] mouth; entrance, gate, opening
- 因 [ yīn ] cause, reason; by; because

Similar Characters: 咀咱呬

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Stroke order image for Chinese character 咽

Pinyin: yàn

English Definition:to swallow

Chinese Definition:
①使嘴里的食物或别的东西通过咽头到食道里去：咽唾沫。狼吞虎咽。细嚼慢咽。

Example Words:

吞咽	tūn yàn	to swallow; to gulp
狼吞虎咽HSK 6	láng tūn hǔ yàn	to wolf down one's food (idiom); to devour ravenously; to gorge oneself
咽气	yàn qì	to die; to breathe one's last
咽下	yàn xià	to swallow; to suppress
细嚼慢咽	xì jiáo màn yàn	to eat slowly (idiom)

Pinyin: yān

English Definition:narrow pass; throat; pharynx

Chinese Definition:
①口腔后部由肌肉和黏膜构成的管子，分三部分，上段与鼻腔相对称“鼻咽”；中段与口腔相对称“口咽”；下段在喉的后部称“喉咽”。咽是呼吸道和消化道的共同通路(亦称“咽头”)：咽喉。

Example Words:

咽喉	yān hóu	throat
咽峡炎	yān xiá yán	angina; sore throat
咽炎	yān yán	pharyngitis
咽头	yān tóu	pharynx
咽鼓管	yān gǔ guǎn	Eustachian tube (linking pharynx 咽 to tympanic cavity 鼓室 of middle ear); auditory tube

Pinyin: yè

English Definition:to choke (in crying)

Chinese Definition:
①阻塞，声音因阻塞而低沉：哽咽。呜咽。

Example Words:

哽咽	gěng yè	to choke with emotion; to choke with sobs
呜咽	wū yè	to sob; to whimper
抽咽	chōu yè	to sob
梗咽	gěng yè	variant of 哽咽
掩面呜咽	yǎn miàn wū yè	to bury the face in the hands and begin to weep (idiom)

1		zhì 治 shǔ tiān 暑天 ké sou 咳嗽， yān hóu 咽喉 bú shì 不适。 Suitable for people who suffer from coughing sour throat.
2		tā 他 zhāng kāi 张开 zuǐ ba 嘴巴， fā chū 发出 yì shēng 一声 bēi yàn 悲咽 de 的 kū shēng 哭声。 He opened his mouth and let out a sorrowful cry.
3		zhè jiā 这家 cān tīng 餐厅 de 的 cài sè 菜色 shí zài 实在 nán yǐ 难以 xià yàn 下咽， wǒ 我 dōu 都 yào 要 tù 吐 le 了。 The food at this restaurant is really hard to swallow, it's making me want to puke.