Mandarin Chinese reference
吸
xī
to inhale; to suck; to absorb
Verb pattern · 10 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xīinhale |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xī leinhaled |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xī guohave inhaled before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài xībe inhaling |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào xī lebe about to inhale |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì xīwill inhale |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù xīdo not inhale |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi xīdid not inhale |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xī ma?do you inhale? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xī bu xī?do you inhale? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.