chew

chew — 動詞

1. to break food down into smaller pieces by moving it between your teeth until it

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

咀嚼

用牙齒咬碎食物以便吞嚥

to break food down into smaller pieces by moving it between your teeth until it is soft enough to swallow

例句

Aiko chewed her steak slowly before swallowing it.

Aiko 慢慢地咀嚼牛排,然後才吞下去。

The old dog sat in the corner, happily chewing on a bone.

那隻老狗坐在角落裡,開心地嚼著骨頭。

intransitive pattern: chew on + object

同義詞
  • masticate

    formal and technical; used mainly in medical or scientific writing

  • grind

    emphasises the pressing and crushing motion rather than the repeated opening and closing of the jaw

反義詞
  • swallow

    the act that follows chewing — you chew first, then swallow

文法句型

chew + object

chew + on + object

chew + adverb (e.g. thoroughly, slowly)

用法筆記

Both transitive (chew your food) and intransitive (chew on a bone) patterns are common. The preposition 'on' is used when the object is the item being chewed rather than the result of chewing.

常見錯誤

She bit the gum all through the movie.
She chewed the gum all through the movie.
💡'bite' is a single cutting action with the teeth; 'chew' involves repeated crushing motions.

2. to hold something in your mouth and bite it repeatedly — often from anxiety, dee

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

啃咬;嚼

反覆咬或嚼(如鉛筆、嘴唇、指甲)

to hold something in your mouth and bite it repeatedly — often from anxiety, deep concentration, or simply to taste the flavour

例句

Nadia chewed her pencil nervously while waiting for the exam to begin.

Nadia 緊張地咬著鉛筆,等待考試開始。

chew + object for nervous habit

The puppy keeps chewing on the legs of the wooden chairs.

那隻小狗一直在啃木椅的椅腳。

同義詞
  • gnaw

    suggests persistent biting at something hard; more common for animals than people

  • chomp

    informal; suggests noisier, more vigorous biting

文法句型

chew + object (nails, pencil, lip)

chew + on + object

用法筆記

Common objects for this sense include fingernails, pencils, pens, lips, and the inside of the cheek. The action is often unconscious and driven by anxiety or deep thought.

常見錯誤

The puppy bit on my shoe all afternoon.
The puppy chewed on my shoe all afternoon.
💡for repeated gnawing over time, use 'chew on'; 'bite' implies a single quick action.

chew — 名詞