kěn

啃

HSK 7-9Character · Verb

gnaw; nibble; study hard

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 10 examples
1.

verb

to gnaw; to nibble at

Most often used for hard solid foods that require repeated biting to break apart.

Xiǎo小
gǒu狗
zhèng正
zài在
kěn啃
gǔ骨
tou头
 。

The puppy is gnawing on a bone.

Hái孩
zi子
men们
biān边
kěn啃
yù玉
mǐ米
biān边
liáo聊
tiān天
 。

The kids are nibbling on corn while chatting.

Show 3 more examples
Tā他
zhèng正
kěn啃
zhe着
yī一
kuài块
kǎo烤
hóng红
shǔ薯
 。

He is gnawing on a piece of roasted sweet potato.

Zhè这
zhī只
sōng松
shǔ鼠
zài在
kěn啃
sōng松
guǒ果
 。

This squirrel is gnawing on a pinecone.

Bù不
yào要
kěn啃
zhǐ指
jia甲
 ,
bù不
wèi卫
shēng生
 。

Don't nibble your fingernails, it's unhygienic.

2.

verb

to study diligently; to cram

informal

Used metaphorically for intensive, tedious academic study, often with a connotation of slow, tedious work.

Tā他
shǔ暑
jià假
lǐ里
yī一
zhí直
zài在
kěn啃
zhuān专
yè业
kè课
běn本
 。

He has been cramming professional textbooks over the summer vacation.

Wèi为
le了
kǎo考
shì试
 ,
tā他
zhěng整
tiān天
kěn啃
cān参
kǎo考
shū书
 。

He spends all day poring over reference books to prepare for the exam.

Show 3 more examples
Gāng刚
kāi开
shǐ始
xué学
biān编
chéng程
 ,
wǒ我
kěn啃
le了
hǎo好
duō多
jiào教
chéng程
 。

When I first started learning programming, I worked through tons of tutorials.

Tā他
huā花
le了
yī一
gè个
yuè月
kěn啃
wán完
le了
zhè这
běn本
hòu厚
cí词
diǎn典
 。

He spent a month working his way through this thick dictionary.

Bèi备
kǎo考
qī期
jiān间
 ,
tā他
jī几
hū乎
tiān天
tiān天
kěn啃
zhēn真
tí题
 。

During exam prep, he practically works through real test papers every day.