啃 (kěn): to gnaw, to nibble, to bite
啃 (kěn) is a Chinese character meaning “to gnaw.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 口 (semantic) and 肯 (phonetic). It ranks #2882 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 啃 mouth. Its radical form 口 (mouth) appears in many related characters such as 口 (kǒu, mouth), 叫 (jiào, to call, to be called), 右 (yòu, (bound form) right).
Definitions
- to gnaw
- to nibble
- to bite
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 啃 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 啃老族noun | kěn lǎo zú | (coll.) adults still living with and depending on their parents |
| 啃老verb | kěn lǎo | (coll.) to live with and depend on one's parents even upon reaching adulthood |
| 啃书 | kěn shū | lit. to gnaw a book |
| 嘴啃泥 | zuǐ kěn ní | to fall flat on one's face |
啃 appears in 4 compound words: 75 as the first character, 0 as the last, and 25 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 啃 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Example Sentences
他啃才很好,能言善辩,是个出色的律师。
tā kěn cái hěn hǎo , néng yán shàn biàn , shì gě chū sè de lǜ shī .
He's sharp as a tack, articulate, and an outstanding lawyer.
老年人因骨质疏松,牙齿移位速度更快,此时强行啃咬硬物,会大幅加重牙体损伤风险。
lǎo nián rén yīn gǔ zhì shū sōng , yá chǐ yí wèi sù dù gēng kuài , cǐ shí qiáng háng kěn yǎo yìng wù , huì dà fú jiā chóng yá tǐ sǔn shāng fēng xiǎn .
Due to osteoporosis, teeth shift more rapidly in older adults; forcing them to bite into hard objects at this stage can significantly increase the risk of tooth damage.
但折叠屏真正难啃的骨头,从来不只在硬件层面。
dàn zhé dié bǐng zhēn zhèng nán kěn de gǔ tóu , cóng lái bù zhī zài yìng jiàn céng miàn .
But the real challenge with foldable screens has never been limited to the hardware alone.
英雄救美赶走色狼“接棒性侵”还变态啃咬肩颈 留DNA成铁证
yīng xióng jiù měi gǎn zǒu sè láng jiē bàng xìng qīn hái biàn tài kěn yǎo jiān jǐng liú D N A chéng tiě zhèng
Hero Rescues Beauty, Chases Away Predator, Only to Be Accused of "Relay Sexual Assault" and Biting Her Shoulder and Neck; DNA Left Behind Serves as Irrefutable Evidence
... | “车”残兵缺势又颓 拖肥主场硬净恶啃
. . . chē cán bīng quē shì yòu tuí tuō féi zhǔ chǎng yìng jìng è kěn
... | "The 'Car' team is battered, depleted, and in decline; the Fat Team is tough at home and a tough nut to crack."
全联惊见老鼠爽啃高丽菜! 官方发声明:紧急停业清消
quán lián jīng jiàn lǎo shǔ shuǎng kěn gāo lí cài ! guān fāng fā shēng míng : jǐn jí tíng yè qīng xiāo
Mice Spotted Gorging on Cabbage at All-Union! Official Statement: Store Closed Immediately for Disinfection
我劝他别老想着啃老。
Wǒ quàn tā bié lǎo xiǎng zhe kěnlǎo.
I advised him to be independent of his parents.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 啃 (kěn) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 啃 have?
What is the radical of 啃?
What are the components of 啃?
What are common words containing 啃?
What characters sound the same as 啃 (kěn)?
Is 啃 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 啃 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.