呼吸
hūxī · HSK 4
take a breath
😮💨 呼 = exhale (call out) + 吸 = inhale (suck in)
Compound of two breath verbs: 呼 hū is the outbreath (same character as 'to call/shout'), 吸 xī is the inbreath (to suck/absorb). Together they cover the full respiratory cycle.
吸 — mouth radical 口 + reach 及 (phonetic)
吸 is a phono-semantic compound. The mouth radical 口 signals the meaning—an action done with the mouth—while 及 (jí) hints at the original sound. It depicts drawing air or liquid in through the mouth, giving the modern senses 'inhale, suck, absorb'.