吹 (chuī) is a Chinese character meaning “to blow (with the mouth or of the wind)”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to blow”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 欠
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 口 3 画 + 欠 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 口部
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to a person leaning out with an open mouth (欠, "to yawn") — breath going out. That is what 吹 does: blow.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 吹风chuī fēngto blow air on something; to be in a draught; to blow-dry吹 = chuī
- 吹牛chuī niúto brag; to boast; to talk big吹 = chuī
- 吹拂chuī fú(of a breeze) to brush against; to caress吹 = chuī
- 吹捧chuī pěngto flatter; to lavish praise on吹 = chuī
Go deeper
All readings
to blow
to blow (with the mouth or of the wind); to play a wind instrument; to boast
合拢嘴唇用力出气；风等流动冲击物体；也指说大话。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 吹风chuī fēngto blow air on something; to be in a draught; to blow-dry吹 = chuī
- 吹牛chuī niúto brag; to boast; to talk big吹 = chuī
- 吹拂chuī fú(of a breeze) to brush against; to caress吹 = chuī
- 吹捧chuī pěngto flatter; to lavish praise on吹 = chuī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 吹 mean?
吹 (chuī) means to blow (with the mouth or of the wind); to play a wind instrument; to boast.
How do you pronounce 吹?
It is pronounced chuī.
What parts is 吹 made of?
口 (mouth) and 欠 (to yawn; to owe; to lack), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 口 3 画 + 欠 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 口部. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 吹 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 吹?
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 吹?
Common ones are 吹风 and 吹牛. The reading of 吹 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.