‘接吻’ literally means ‘to receive a kiss’—‘接’ (jiē) means ‘to receive, to meet, or to connect’, and ‘吻’ (wěn) means ‘kiss’. Together, they form a standard, neutral verb meaning ‘to kiss (on the lips)’. It describes the physical act of pressing one’s lips against another person’s lips, typically in romantic, affectionate, or ceremonial contexts. Unlike more casual or slang expressions (e.g., ‘亲’), ‘接吻’ is moderately formal and commonly used in written Chinese, films, health education, or discussions about relationships.

This term carries no inherent connotation of intimacy level—it can refer to brief, polite kisses (e.g., greeting customs in some cultures) or deep romantic ones—but it always implies lip-to-lip contact. It is not used for kissing objects, pets, or cheeks unless specified metaphorically or with modifiers. As a verb, it usually appears with aspect particles like ‘了’ or ‘过’, or in serial verb constructions (e.g., ‘拥抱并接吻’). It does not take an object marker ‘把’ and is rarely used transitively without context.