啃 kěn to gnaw
to gnaw; to chew; to bite
How to remember 啃: 口 mouth + 肯 to agree to = to gnaw. The dog finally gets Mum to agree to one bone, grabs it in his mouth and settles under the table to gnaw.
Component breakdown
啃 = 口 mouth + 肯 to agree to
- 口 mouth
- 肯 to agree to
- 止 stop
- ⺝ moon
The dog finally gets Mum to agree to one bone, grabs it in his mouth and settles under the table to gnaw.
How it is used
- A standalone verb for gnawing hard food with the teeth - 啃骨头 (kěn gútou) gnaw a bone, 啃苹果 (kěn píngguǒ) bite into an apple.
- Figurative 啃 = to grind through something hard: 啃书本 (kěn shūběn) plow through books, 啃老 (kěn lǎo) live off one's parents.
- Vivid and physical, unlike neutral 吃 (chī, to eat).