唉 meaning and stroke order
Alas; oh dear
How to write 唉, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 唉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- alas
- oh dear
- interjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!)
- to sigh
How 唉 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 矣 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 唉
唉 combines 口 (mouth) with 矣 (yǐ), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth letting out a long sigh, "ai", when something goes wrong.
唉 is an interjection used at the start of a sentence to show a sigh, regret, or mild frustration. In the āi reading it can also be a quick reply that means "yes" or "here" when someone calls you. Example: 唉，又下雨了。(Āi, yòu xià yǔ le.) Sigh, it's raining again.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 唉 with 哎 (āi), which also uses 口 but is more for surprise or getting attention, as in 哎呀 (āiyā). Use 唉 when the feeling is a sigh or resignation. Also do not mix up the right side 矣 with 埃 or 挨, which share 矣 but have different radicals.
唉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 唉
How many strokes are in 唉?
唉 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 唉 mean?
唉 (ài) means alas; oh dear.
How do you pronounce 唉?
唉 has more than one reading: ài and āi. The most common is ài, said in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 唉?
The radical of 唉 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 唉 under this radical.
Is 唉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 唉 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
When is 唉 pronounced ài instead of āi?
The ài reading is for a heavy sigh of sadness or regret, like "alas" or "oh dear". The āi reading is for a light answer of agreement or recognition, such as replying "yes" when your name is called. In casual speech many people say āi for both.
Is 唉 used in the word for sighing?
Yes. 唉声叹气 (āi shēng tàn qì) means to moan and sigh, describing someone who keeps complaining or looking gloomy. It is a common four-character expression.