吸 (xī) is a Chinese character meaning “to breathe in”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 及 (reach; extend to), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to breathe in”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 及
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（吸，內息也。从口及聲），并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为左侧「口」，笔画 3–5 为右侧「及」
Memory aid
A mouth (口) that reaches out (及) for the air and pulls it in — one breath.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 呼吸hū xīto breathe; breathing吸 = xīHSK 5
- 吸引xī yǐnto attract; to draw (attention)吸 = xīHSK 4
- 吮吸shǔn xīto suck吸 = xī
Go deeper
All readings
to inhale; to absorb
to breathe in; to inhale; to suck up; to absorb; to attract
把气体或液体等引进嘴里、身体里；也指吸收、吸引。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 呼吸hū xīto breathe; breathing吸 = xīHSK 5
- 吸引xī yǐnto attract; to draw (attention)吸 = xīHSK 4
- 吮吸shǔn xīto suck吸 = xī
Sound component
及 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 吸 mean?
吸 (xī) means to breathe in; to inhale; to suck up; to absorb; to attract.
How do you pronounce 吸?
It is pronounced xī.
What parts is 吸 made of?
口 (mouth) and 及 (reach; extend to), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（吸，內息也。从口及聲），并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为左侧「口」，笔画 3–5 为右侧「及」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 吸 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 吸?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 吸?
Common ones are 呼吸 and 吸引. The reading of 吸 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.