吸
吸 (xī) means “to breathe in”. It is made of 口 + 及 and has 6 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 吸 into its parts
What 吸 is made of
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 及 jí — to extend
- 又 yòu — and
Origin hint: 口 gives the meaning, 及 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
吸 stroke order
Example sentences
请吸一口气。Qǐng xī yī kǒu qì.Please take a breath.
这种纸很能吸水。Zhè zhǒng zhǐ hěn néng xī shuǐ.This kind of paper absorbs water well.
Words with 吸
- 呼吸hūxīto breathe
- 吸管xīguǎnstraw (for drinking)
- 吸收xīshōuto absorb
- 吸烟xīyānto smoke
- 吸引xīyǐnto attract
- 吸取xīqǔto draw (a lesson)
Also built with 口
- 中zhōngmiddle
- 享xiǎngto share
- 京jīngcapital
- 亮liàngbright
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 加jiāto add
- 占zhànto occupy
- 古gǔancient
- 句jùmeasure word for sentences
- 另lìnganother
- 叨dāotalkative
- 只zhǐonly
Quick facts
| Pinyin | xī |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to breathe in; to suck; to absorb |
| Strokes | 6 |
| Radical | 口 (mouth, #30) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 4 (exam 2025) · HSK 4 (2021) |
Questions about 吸
What does 吸 mean?
吸 (xī) means “to breathe in; to suck; to absorb”.
How many strokes does 吸 have?
吸 has 6 strokes.
What is the radical of 吸?
The radical of 吸 is 口 (kǒu, “mouth”), Kangxi radical number 30.
What parts make up 吸?
吸 is made of 口 (mouth) and 及 (to extend).
Which HSK level is 吸?
吸 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 4 (2021).
Learn 吸 with its group
It is part of HSK 4 (2021) · Group 74: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.