憋

biē
HSK 6
#3,135 most
frequent character
to choke, to stifle, to restrain
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

憋 combines 心, heart or feeling, with 敝 bì, which means 'bad; worn out.' 敝 also supplies the sound. The first meaning was 'irritable,' which grew to 'oppressed, stifled,' 'to stifle,' and 'to hold back.'

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Example Sentences

他憋得喘不过气来。
tā biē dé chuǎn bùguò qìlái 。
He is choking and can't catch his breath.
不要憋住你的笑，快笑出来。
búyào biē zhù nǐde xiào ， kuài xiào chūlái 。
Don't hold back your laughter, let it out.
她憋着不敢说话。
tā biē zháo bùgǎn shuōhuà 。
She is holding back and doesn’t dare to speak.

Words with similar meanings

压抑yāyì
to suppress
This word conveys a sense of forcing down emotions or reactions, similar to how '憋' is used to describe holding back.
忍住rěnzhù
to endure
This suggests a sense of enduring discomfort or an urge, akin to restraining oneself.

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Public Lists with 憋

HSK 6
All words for the HSK 6 test