哈 meaning and stroke order
The sound of laughter
How to write 哈, 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 哈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (interj.) ha!
- (onom. for laughter)
- (slang) to be infatuated with; to adore
- (bound form) husky (dog) (abbr. for 哈士奇[ha1 shi4 qi2])
- a Pekinese; a pug
- (dialect) to scold
How 哈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 合 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 哈
哈 is a mouth 口 next to 合 (hé), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth opening wide to let out a big "ha" of laughter.
哈 is mostly used for the sound of laughing, often doubled as 哈哈 (hāhā), and it appears in many loanwords like 哈罗 (hāluó, hello) and 嘻哈 (xīhā, hip-hop). Example: 他听了笑话，哈哈大笑。(Tā tīng le xiàohua, hāhā dà xiào.) He heard the joke and laughed out loud.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 合 alone or confuse 哈 with 恰 (qià), which has the heart radical 忄 instead of 口. Keep the mouth on the left, since laughing comes from the mouth.
Common words with 哈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
哈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 哈
How many strokes are in 哈?
哈 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 哈 mean?
哈 (hā) means the sound of laughter. A common word with it is 哈哈 (hāhā), meaning "(onom.) laughing out loud".
How do you pronounce 哈?
哈 is pronounced hā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 哈?
The radical of 哈 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 哈 under this radical.
Is 哈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 哈 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 哈 mean in internet slang?
In slang, 哈 can mean to adore or be infatuated with something, as in 哈日 (hā Rì), to be crazy about Japanese culture. It is informal and common online.
Is 哈 ever read in a different tone?
Yes. It is read hǎ in a few words, such as 哈巴狗 (hǎbagǒu, a Pekinese or pug) and 大马哈鱼 (dàmǎhǎyú, chum salmon). In most everyday uses, including laughter, it is hā.