吖 meaning and stroke order
Used in transliterations
How to write 吖, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 吖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (used in transliterating chemical names)
How 吖 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 丫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吖
A mouth 口 next to 丫 (yā), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth making a quick 'yā' sound, so this character mostly records sounds rather than meanings.
吖 has no real meaning of its own. In chemistry it is read ā and appears in transliterated names, for example 吖啶 (ādìng) acridine. In casual online writing some people also use it as a cute sentence-ending sound, as in 好吖 (hǎo yā) 'okay'.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 吖 with 呀 (ya), the common particle. In standard writing you should use 呀, and save 吖 for chemical terms or very informal chat. Also remember the reading changes to ā in chemical names like 吖啶 (ādìng).
吖 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吖
How many strokes are in 吖?
吖 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吖 mean?
吖 (yā) means used in transliterations.
How do you pronounce 吖?
吖 is pronounced yā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吖?
The radical of 吖 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吖 under this radical.
Is 吖 pronounced yā or ā?
Both readings exist. In chemical names it is read ā, as in 吖啶 (ādìng). Outside chemistry, such as in casual internet writing, people usually say yā.
What is the difference between 吖 and 丫?
丫 (yā) on its own means a fork or branch shape, as in 丫头 (yātou) 'girl'. 吖 adds the mouth radical 口 to show it is used only for sound, so the two are not interchangeable.