Meaning
抽 is a versatile verb meaning to pull or draw something out from a contained space. It originally referred to the physical action of extracting or withdrawing something, like pulling a sword from its sheath or drawing water from a well. Today it's commonly used for smoking cigarettes, drawing lots, and extracting liquids or abstract things like time.
Usage
抽 appears in many everyday expressions. Most commonly, 抽烟 means 'to smoke cigarettes.' When talking about making time for something, Chinese speakers say 抽时间. It's also used for drawing blood (抽血), pumping water (抽水), and random selection (抽签). The character often implies pulling something long and thin from a container or enclosed space.
Examples
- 01他每天都抽一包烟。.He smokes a pack of cigarettes every day.
- 02我明天要抽时间去看牙医。.I need to find time tomorrow to see the dentist.
Common collocations
- 抽烟to smoke (cigarettes)
- 抽时间to find/make time
- 抽血to draw blood
- 抽签to draw lots
Antonyms
Origin
The character 抽 combines the hand radical 扌(手) with 由, which originally depicted something emerging or coming out. This composition reflects the core meaning of using one's hand to extract or pull something out.