咕咚
gūdōng
The English phrase 'gulp' is translated into Chinese as 咕咚 (gūdōng).
The word 咕咚 is primarily an onomatopoeia used to represent the sound of swallowing, rather than a standard action verb like 'to swallow'.
Meaning: to swallow eagerly, or in large draughts (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
Doubling the phrase to 咕咚咕咚 is a common way to represent the continuous sound of multiple gulps or a repetitive swallowing action. Adding 一声 after 咕咚 creates a common phrase meaning 'with a gulp' or 'with a gulping sound'.
How do you pronounce it?
gūdōng
Did you know?
- While 咕咚 mimics the sound of a single gulp, in many Chinese web novels, it is used to emphasize a character's sudden nervousness. A character might 'gulp' not because they are thirsty, but because they are startled.
- The onomatopoeia 咕咚 is also used to describe the sound of a heavy object falling into water with a splash. This makes the word versatile for both a person swallowing and an object sinking.
- The character 咚 is often associated with the sound of drums or heavy percussion. This gives the 'gulp' a more heavy, resonant quality in the reader's mind than a light swallow.
Examples in context
- 他口渴得大口吞咽了一整杯水。He was so thirsty that he gulped down an entire glass of water.
- 他咕咚一声喝干了整杯水。Tā gūdōng yīshēng hē gān le zhěng bēi shuǐ.He swallowed the whole glass of water with a gulp.
- 他在渴的时候咕咚咕咚地喝水。Tā zài kě de shíhou gūdōng gūdōng de hē shuǐ.He is gulping down water when he is thirsty.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Zhiqiang are drinking water after a run.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，你喝水太快了。Zhìqiáng, nǐ hē shuǐ tài kuài le.Zhiqiang, you are drinking water too fast.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我太渴了，只能咕咚咕咚地喝。Wǒ tài kě le, zhǐ néng gūdōng gūdōng de hē.I'm so thirsty, I can only gulp it down.
- 佳怡 Jiayi小心别呛到了。Xiǎoxīn bié qiàng dào le.Be careful not to choke.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没事，我觉得很舒服。Méishì, wǒ juéde hěn shūfu.It's okay, I feel great.
