chuī HSK 5

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

风吹得很舒服。
Fēng chuī de hěn shūfu.
The wind blows very comfortably.
他喜欢吹笛子。
Tā xǐhuan chuī dízi.
He likes to play the flute.
请把蜡烛吹灭。
Qǐng bǎ làzhú chuī miè.
Please blow out the candle.
他吹气球。
Tā chuī qìqiú.
He blows up a balloon.
风吹树叶。
Fēng chuī shùyè.
The wind blows leaves.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine someone blowing out candles on a birthday cake while saying 'chuī'—the sound mimics the action of blowing. Associate the character's mouth radical (口) on the left with using your mouth to blow.

📝 Usage Notes

吹 is used in both spoken and written Chinese, across formal and informal contexts. Common situations include blowing on hot food, blowing out candles, playing musical instruments like flutes, or describing wind blowing. In slang, it can mean boasting (e.g., 吹牛, chuī niú, 'to brag').

📖 Grammar Points

吹 is a transitive verb often followed by an object (e.g., 吹气球, chuī qìqiú, 'blow up a balloon'). It can be used in imperative sentences (e.g., 吹一下, chuī yīxià, 'blow on it') and in resultative complements (e.g., 吹灭, chuī miè, 'blow out').

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, blowing out candles on a birthday cake is a common tradition, similar to Western customs. The phrase 吹牛 (chuī niú, 'blow cow') humorously implies exaggerating or boasting, reflecting a cultural awareness of empty talk.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 刮 (guā, 'to blow' for wind, often stronger like a gust), 吹 is more general and can involve human action. Unlike 呼 (hū, 'to exhale' or 'call out'), 吹 specifically focuses on blowing air with force or purpose.

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