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垂涎

chuíxián
verb #17,430

Meanings

  1. 1 to drool; to salivate
  2. 2 (fig.) to covet; to desire greedily

Characters

垂
chuí
to hang down; to droop
涎
xián
saliva; drool
Literally 'droop-saliva' — saliva hanging down, i.e. drooling

Examples

看到这些美食，他垂涎三尺。
Kàndào zhèxiē měishí, tā chuíxián sān chǐ.
Seeing all this delicious food, he drooled with desire.
很多公司都对这块市场垂涎已久。
Hěn duō gōngsī dōu duì zhè kuài shìchǎng chuíxián yǐ jiǔ.
Many companies have long coveted this market.

Tips

usage
Often used in set phrases: 垂涎三尺 (drool three feet — desperately craving) and 垂涎欲滴 (about to drool — mouth-watering).

Stroke Order

垂 chuí
涎 xián