Chinese Character: 喝
1. Character Basics
Radical: 口/kǒu (mouth)
Stroke Count: 12 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hē (First tone) or Hè (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: To drink/Hē, To shout/Hè
Extended Meaning: To sip; to take a drink; to gulp down/Hē, To yell; to call out; to cheer/Hè
Additional Meaning: Used to describe the action of drinking or shouting
4. Common Words
- 喝水 (hē shuǐ) - To drink water
Example: 我每天喝八杯水。 (wǒ měi tiān hē bā bēi shuǐ) - I drink eight glasses of water every day.
- 喝茶 (hē chá) - To drink tea
Example: 爷爷喜欢在下午喝茶。 (yé ye xǐ huan zài xià wǔ hē chá) - Grandfather likes to drink tea in the afternoon.
- 喝酒 (hē jiǔ) - To drink alcohol
Example: 他不喜欢喝酒。 (tā bù xǐ huan hē jiǔ) - He doesn't like drinking alcohol.
- 喝彩 (hè cǎi) - To cheer; to applaud
Example: 观众为演员们喝彩。 (guān zhòng wèi yǎn yuán men hè cǎi) - The audience cheered for the actors.
- 喝倒彩 (hè dào cǎi) - To boo; to jeer
Example: 不要对表演者喝倒彩。 (bù yào duì biǎo yǎn zhě hè dào cǎi) - Don't boo the performers.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Verb
Usage: When pronounced "Hē", it mainly refers to the action of drinking; when pronounced "Hè", it mainly refers to the action of shouting or cheering.
Common Structures:
- 喝+液体 (e.g., 喝水 hē shuǐ - drink water, 喝茶 hē chá - drink tea)
- 喝+量词+液体 (e.g., 喝一杯咖啡 hē yī bēi kā fēi - drink a cup of coffee)
- 喝+动词 (e.g., 喝彩 hè cǎi - cheer, 喝倒彩 hè dào cǎi - boo)
Usage Notes: "喝" is a common verb in daily life and is often used in food and beverage contexts.
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, "喝" is closely related to daily life and social interactions.
Drinking tea (喝茶 hē chá) is an important part of Chinese tea culture, representing etiquette and socializing.
Drinking alcohol (喝酒 hē jiǔ) plays an important role in Chinese banquet culture and business activities.
In traditional Chinese medicine, proper drinking of water and other beverages is considered important for health preservation.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1: 我口渴了，想喝点水。
I'm thirsty and want to drink some water.
Example 2: 我们一起去喝茶聊天吧。
Let's go drink tea and chat together.
Example 3: 观众热烈地为运动员喝彩。
The audience enthusiastically cheered for the athletes.
8. Memory Tips
Structure Memory: "喝" is composed of "口" (mouth) and "曷". You can understand it as an action performed with the mouth.
Association Memory: Associate "喝" with common actions like drinking water, drinking tea, and drinking alcohol.
Tone Memory: Remember the two different tones and meanings: "Hē" (first tone) for drinking, "Hè" (fourth tone) for shouting.
Scenario Memory: Imagine common scenarios like drinking water when thirsty or cheering for someone.
Character Component Memory: The left part "口" indicates it's related to mouth action, while the right part helps with pronunciation.