吸
Character learning workspace

xī · to inhale, to suck in

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 4Frequency #2340
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 吸

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 吸 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

6Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

口Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 吸 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 吸

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

xīWords pronounced xī
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Example sentences

Notice where 吸 sits in each complete thought.

Tā bèi nàge nǚ rén xī yǐn zhù le.他被那个女人吸引住了。

He was attracted to the woman.

Source: Tatoeba #375328 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ de wén fǎ bǐ nǐ de hū xī hǎo.你的文法比你的呼吸好。

Your grammar is better than your breath.

Source: Tatoeba #760898 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ shì bu shì xī dú xī shǎ le?你是不是吸毒吸傻了?

Do you have a drug problem?

Source: Tatoeba #2444476 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā dìyī yǎn jiù xī yǐn le wǒ.她第一眼就吸引了我。

She attracted me at first sight.

Source: Tatoeba #464848 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā bèi tā de xiào róng xī yǐn zhù le.他被她的笑容吸引住了。

He was attracted by her smile.

Source: Tatoeba #793855 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā de yǎn jiǎng xī yǐn le wǒ mén de zhù yì.他的演講吸引了我們的注意。

His speech captured our attention.

Source: Tatoeba #918013 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 吸 in context

  1. Say xī, then recall the core meaning: to inhale, to suck in.
  2. Write all 6 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 吸引 (xī yǐn), meaning “to attract”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 吸 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.