哽 gěng to sob
to sob; to choke up
How to remember 哽: 口 mouth + 更 even more = to sob. The bride covers her mouth during the vows, and when her father speaks she has even more reason to sob.
Component breakdown
哽 = 口 mouth + 更 even more
- 口 mouth
- 更 even more
The bride covers her mouth during the vows, and when her father speaks she has even more reason to sob.
How it is used
- To choke up with emotion so words won't come - 哽咽 (gěngyè) to sob/choke on one's words, 哽住 (gěngzhù) to be choked up.
- Specifically the throat tightening from feeling, not from food (that's 噎 yē).
- Common in emotional narration - 说到这里,她哽咽了 saying this, she choked up.