憋

biē

HSK 7

憋 — biē

1. to feel choked or suffocated; to have difficulty breathing

   他被浓烟呛得直憋着胸口，喘不过气来。 tā bèi nóngyān qiāngdé zhí biēzhe xiōngkǒu chuǎn bùguò qì lái — He was choked by the thick smoke, clutching his chest and unable to breathe.

2. to suppress or restrain (feelings, speech, laughter, anger)

   她忍不住笑出声，赶紧憋住了。 tā rěnbúzhù xiào chūshēng gǎnjǐn biēzhù le — She couldn't help laughing out loud, then quickly held it back.

3. to hold in (urine); to refrain from urinating

   上班开会迟迟不开口，她憋着尿撑到下班才去厕所。 shàngbān kāihuì chíchí bùkāi kǒu tā biēzhe niào chēngdào xiàbān cái qù cèsuǒ — During the long meeting at work she held her pee and only went to the toilet after work.

4. to hold one's breath; to refrain from breathing (briefly)

   小孩子比赛谁能憋气时间长。 xiǎoháizi bǐsài shuí néng biēqì shíjiān zhǎng — The children compete to see who can hold their breath the longest.