咬 yǎo to bite
to bite; to gnaw
How to remember 咬: 口 mouth + 交 hand over = to bite. The puppy opens its mouth in the pet shop before Dad can even hand over the money, and finds a slipper it loves to bite.
Component breakdown
咬 = 口 mouth + 交 hand over
- 口 mouth
- 交 hand over
- 亠 lid
- 父 father
The puppy opens its mouth in the pet shop before Dad can even hand over the money, and finds a slipper it loves to bite.
How it is used
- Transitive verb taking a direct object: 狗咬人 (gǒu yǎo rén) - the dog bites the person.
- Also used for chewing/gripping with teeth: 咬一口 (yǎo yī kǒu) - take a bite.
- Fixed phrase 咬紧牙关 (yǎojǐn yákuān) - grit one's teeth (through hardship), common figuratively.
- For insect bites/stings, Chinese normally uses 咬 too (蚊子咬 mosquito bite), unlike English which splits bite/sting.