How to Write 咬 (yǎo) — Meaning “to bite”

Imagine a mouth (口) taking a bite out of a crossed object like a chocolate bar that is shaped like an 'X' (交). The picture of teeth closing on a cross-shaped thing helps you recall that 咬 means 'to bite'.

Write the left radical 口 first as a small square, then the right side 交 starting with the top dot and horizontal line. A common mistake is to write the right side too wide or forget the dot above 交; keep the character balanced so the mouth is not too big.

咬 has the mouth radical on the left, while 君 has the mouth at the bottom below 尹, and 吝 has the mouth below 文. Their meanings are completely different: 君 means 'ruler', 吝 means 'stingy', and 咬 means 'to bite'.

咬 is common for literal biting, like 咬一口 (take a bite), and for gritting teeth in 咬牙, which also symbolizes determination or enduring hardship. 叮咬 refers to insect bites or stings, and in Chinese culture, 咬牙 can appear in idioms about perseverance.

Common words containing 咬 include: 咬一口 (yǎo yī kǒu) — to take a bite; 咬牙 (yǎo yá) — to grit one's teeth; 叮咬 (dīng yǎo) — to bite; to sting (by an insect).