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 | kěn lǎo zú | (coll.) adults still living with and depending on their parents |
| 啃老 | 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.
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
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