U+545B "呛" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character

U+545B "呛" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character that primarily conveys meanings related to choking, irritating, or causing a harsh sensation in the throat or respiratory tract, often due to smoke, dust, or strong fumes. It can function as a verb meaning to choke or cause someone to choke, as in "吸烟呛嗓子" (smoke irritates the throat), or metaphorically to indicate being overwhelmed or provoked, such as in an argument. The character combines the radical "口" (mouth) on the left, suggesting oral or respiratory action, with the phonetic component "仓" on the right, contributing to its pronunciation of qiāng or qiàng in Mandarin. This ideograph is used in both written and spoken Chinese, reflecting a nuanced, sensory expression of physical discomfort.