嗬 meaning and stroke order
Hey, hello; interrogative particle
How to write 嗬, stroke by stroke
13 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 嗬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (interjection expressing surprise) oh!
- wow!
How 嗬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 荷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嗬
A mouth 口 next to a lotus 荷 (hé): picture someone seeing a giant lotus flower and their mouth falls open with a surprised 嗬 (hē). The 口 tells you it is a sound you make, and 荷 gives the sound.
嗬 is an interjection that shows surprise or mild amazement, a bit like "oh" or "wow" in English. It usually comes at the start of a sentence and is common in spoken and informal written Chinese. Example: 嗬，你来得真早。(Hē, nǐ lái de zhēn zǎo.) Oh, you came really early.
Common mistake: Learners often read 嗬 as hé because its sound part 荷 is pronounced hé. The interjection is first tone, hē. Do not confuse it with 呵 (hē), which is mostly used in 呵呵 (hēhē) for laughing.
Questions about 嗬
How many strokes are in 嗬?
嗬 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嗬 mean?
嗬 (hē) means hey, hello; interrogative particle.
How do you pronounce 嗬?
嗬 is pronounced hē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 嗬?
The radical of 嗬 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嗬 under this radical.
What is the difference between 嗬 and 哇?
Both express surprise. 哇 (wā) is a stronger, more excited "wow," while 嗬 (hē) is a lighter "oh" that can sound amused or a little impressed.
Can 嗬 be repeated, like 嗬嗬?
You may see 嗬嗬 in writing to imitate laughter, though 呵呵 is far more common for that. As a surprised interjection, 嗬 is normally used once.