How to Say "Breath" in Chinese

呼吸

hūxī

In Chinese, the word for breath is 呼吸 (hūxī).

呼吸 refers to the entire process of breathing, including inhalation and exhalation.

Meaning: air expelled from the lungs (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

The word 呼吸 can function as both a noun (breath) and a verb (to breathe).

hūxī

In some Chinese calligraphy styles, the rhythm of one's 呼吸 is considered essential to the flow and energy of the written characters.
The concept of 'bad breath' is often described as 口臭 (kǒu chòu), where 口 means 'mouth' and 臭 means 'stink', rather than using a word directly related to 'breath'.
The word 吸 (xī) is used not only for breathing but also for smoking, as in 吸烟 (xīyān), which literally means 'inhaling smoke'.

她止住了呼吸。
She held her breath.
This sentence is useful for the way to say she held her breath using 呼吸.
Tatoeba #8388777 by wangchou, translation #315557 by CK
我能闻到他呼吸中的酒精味。
I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
This sentence shows how to use 呼吸 when describing the smell of breath.
Tatoeba #5611605 by verdastelo9604, translation #3500606 by Hybrid
他止住了呼吸。
He held his breath.
This sentence is useful for the way to say he held his breath using 呼吸.
Tatoeba #804967 by U2FS, translation #300927 by CK
请深吸气并保持放松
Please take a deep breath and stay relaxed.
呼吸是生命的基本过程
Breathing is the fundamental process of life.
爬上山后，我需要一点时间透透气
After climbing the mountain, I need some time to catch my breath.
7 more sentences on Tatoeba

Haoran and Jiayi are practicing yoga together.

浩然 Haoran

佳怡，记得保持均匀的呼吸。
Jiāyí, jìdé bǎochí jūnyún de hūxī.
Jiayi, remember to keep your breath steady.
佳怡 Jiayi

好的，我现在感觉呼吸很顺畅。
Hǎo de, wǒ xiànzài gǎnjué hūxī hěn shùnchàng.
Okay, I feel my breath is flowing smoothly now.
浩然 Haoran

深呼吸可以让你更放松。
Shēn hūxī kěyǐ ràng nǐ gèng fàngsōng.
Deep breath can make you more relaxed.
佳怡 Jiayi

确实，我的呼吸变得很平静。
Quèshí, wǒ de hūxī biàndé hěn píngjìng.
True, my breath has become very calm.

Sources

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