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喝

hē

Why an after-work invitation is just "one cup 喝"

The picture What's in the cup tips back and runs straight down the throat into the body. 喝 is letting it run down without chewing; 吃 is chewing it before it goes down.

Core verbs

Where the picture shows up in 喝

  1. water goes down

    多喝水,会好一点。

    duō hē shuǐ, huì hǎo yìdiǎn

    Drink plenty of water and you'll feel better.

    The cup tips and water runs in one long line down the throat

  2. the alcohol never goes down

    我开车,不喝酒。

    wǒ kāichē, bù hē jiǔ

    I'm driving, so I don't drink.

    A palm covers the offered glass while the other hand holds up the car keys

  3. one cup, together

    下班一起喝一杯吧。

    xiàbān yìqǐ hē yì bēi ba

    Let's grab a drink after work.

    Two glasses clink on the way home and both heads tip back at once

  4. far too much went down

    他昨天喝多了。

    tā zuótiān hē duō le

    He drank too much yesterday.

    A row of empty bottles on the table and a face down among them

  5. soup goes down

    趁热喝汤。

    chèn rè hē tāng

    Have the soup while it's hot.

    A steaming bowl is lifted to the lips and the broth runs down the throat

All of it in one picture

喝 is one picture: liquid sliding down a throat. Send water down and the body feels better; send alcohol down and it no longer goes with driving. Send one cup down together and it becomes after-work plans; send far too much down and it becomes being drunk. Send hot soup down the same way and soup is 喝 too.

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