喝水
喝drink水water=drink water
喝
喝 (hē) Chinese Character: to drink
口 is the mouth you use to 喝.
Practice 喝 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Taking a Drink
喝 (hē) means “to drink.” The mouth component 口 shows that the action uses the mouth, while 曷 mainly gives the sound. Use 喝水, “drink water,” 喝茶, “drink tea,” and 喝咖啡, “drink coffee.”
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
好喝
好good喝to drink=tastes good as a drink
Chinese character origin and etymology
喝 is documented as a character built from meaningful or phonetic parts. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 喝 is written with 12 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 喝 contains 口 and 曷. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
喝 is written with 12 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 口 — mouth
- 曷 — phonetic component
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 喝 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
我想喝水。
I want to drink water.
她每天喝茶。
She drinks tea every day.
你喝咖啡吗？
Do you drink coffee?
Learning tips for 喝
Learn the reading as one unit: hē, with the first tone: high and level. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “to drink,” and write the 12 strokes from memory.
Because 喝 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 口 (kǒu, mouth — the left component); 水 (shuǐ, water — 喝水 means “drink water”); 吃 (chī, to eat). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 喝 without pinyin?
- Can you say hē with the correct tone and explain “to drink”?
- Can you write all 12 strokes in order?
- Can you use 喝 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 喝 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.