喝 (hē) means "to drink" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to drink
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
喝 is a phono-semantic compound not attested in oracle-bone script. It combines 口 (mouth) as the semantic component with 曷 (hé) as the phonetic component. 曷 itself depicts a person with an open mouth asking or demanding something, which reinforces the oral action.
Form evolution
The character appears in seal script (篆书) as a clear combination of 口 on the left and 曷 on the right. Clerical script (隶书) flattened the curves of 曷 and squared off 口. The modern standard form (楷书) preserves this left-right structure with minor regularisation of the strokes inside 曷.
How the meaning evolved
The original meaning was to shout loudly or cry out, a sense still alive in 喝 when pronounced hè (as in 喝彩 hècǎi, to cheer). The sense of drinking came later by extension from the open-mouthed action and is now the dominant modern meaning when read hē.
Cultural note
Learners often forget that 喝 is a heteronym: hē means to drink, but hè means to shout or acclaim, as in the chengyu 大喝一声 (dà hè yī shēng), to give a great shout. Both readings sit on the same etymological root of an open, vocal mouth.
Basic info
| Pinyin | hē |
| Meanings | to drink |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #1424 most common |
Example sentences
我想喝咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi.
I want to drink coffee.
From 喝 (HSK 1)
Words containing 喝
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 喝 | hē | to drink | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.