嗳 meaning and stroke order
Interjection indicating regret
How to write 嗳, 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 嗳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to belch
- (interj. of disapproval)
- (interj. of regret)
How 嗳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 爱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嗳
A mouth 口 on the left plus 爱 (ài) on the right. Picture a mouth letting out a sound like ài, a sigh or a little cry, which is why this character is an interjection.
嗳 is a spoken interjection with several readings. As ài it shows regret, as ǎi it shows disapproval, and as āi it is a simple call or exclamation. Example: 嗳，早知道就好了。(Ài, zǎo zhīdào jiù hǎo le.) Oh, if only I had known earlier.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 嗳 with 爱 (ài, love) because they share the same right side and can share the same sound. If the word is a sound someone makes, it needs the 口 mouth on the left. Do not write 爱 for a sigh.
嗳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 嗳
How many strokes are in 嗳?
嗳 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 嗳 mean?
嗳 (āi) means interjection indicating regret.
How do you pronounce 嗳?
嗳 is pronounced āi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 嗳?
The radical of 嗳 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嗳 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 嗳?
The traditional form of 嗳 is 噯. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 嗳 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 嗳 and 哎 or 唉?
All three are interjections made with a mouth radical. 哎 (āi) and 唉 (āi, ài) are much more common in modern writing, and 嗳 is used less often. When you read 嗳, treat it as a similar exclamation and use context to tell regret from disapproval.
Does 嗳 have a meaning besides being an interjection?
Yes. Read as ǎi it can mean to belch. This sense is uncommon in everyday modern speech, so you will mostly meet 嗳 as an interjection.