哀 meaning and stroke order
Sad, mournful, pitiful; to pity; to grieve
How to write 哀, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 哀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) sorrow; grief; pity
- (bound form) to grieve for; to pity; to lament; to condole
How 哀 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 衣 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 哀
哀 is the character 衣 (yī, clothing) with a mouth 口 tucked inside it. Picture someone hiding their mouth in their sleeve to muffle crying. In the real character, 衣 gives the sound and 口 points to the meaning of voicing grief.
哀 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 悲哀 (bēi'āi), 哀伤 (āishāng) and 哀悼 (āidào), not on its own. It has a formal, literary tone. Example: 我们向遇难者表示深切哀悼。(Wǒmen xiàng yùnànzhě biǎoshì shēnqiè āidào.) We express our deep condolences for the victims.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 哀 (āi) with 衰 (shuāi, to decline) and 衷 (zhōng, inner feelings). All three put something inside 衣. 哀 has 口, 衷 has 中, and 衰 has a different middle shape. Also, do not use 哀 alone to mean "sad" in daily speech. Say 难过 (nánguò) or 伤心 (shāngxīn) instead.
Common words with 哀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 悲哀 | bēi'āi | grieved; sorrowful | HSK 7-9 |
| 哀求 | āiqiú | to entreat; to implore | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜怒哀乐 | xǐ-nù-āi-lè | (lit.) happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy (idiom); (fig.) emotions | HSK 7-9 |
| 哀悼 | āidào | to grieve over sb's death; to lament sb's death | |
| 节哀顺变 | jié'āishùnbiàn | (idiom) restrain one's grief and accept what has happened (expression of condolence) | |
| 哀伤 | āishāng | grief; distress; bereavement; grieved; heartbroken; dejected | |
| 节哀 | jié'āi | to restrain one's grief (used in expressions of condolence, e.g. 請節哀|请节哀[qing3 jie2 ai1] a | |
| 哀嚎 | āiháo | to wail; to cry piteously; (of a wild animal) to howl | |
| 默哀 | mò'āi | to observe a moment of silence in tribute |
哀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 哀
How many strokes are in 哀?
哀 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 哀 mean?
哀 (āi) means sad, mournful, pitiful; to pity; to grieve. A common word with it is 悲哀 (bēi'āi), meaning "grieved; sorrowful".
How do you pronounce 哀?
哀 is pronounced āi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 哀?
The radical of 哀 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 哀 under this radical.
Is 哀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 哀 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What should I say to someone whose family member has died?
A common phrase is 请节哀 (qǐng jié'āi), "please restrain your grief," or the fuller idiom 节哀顺变 (jié'āishùnbiàn). Both are standard, polite expressions of condolence.
What is the difference between 哀求 and 请求?
请求 (qǐngqiú) is a neutral, formal request. 哀求 (āiqiú) means to beg or plead pitifully, often with emotion or desperation.