噶 meaning and stroke order
Used in transliterations
How to write 噶, stroke by stroke
15 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 噶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- phonetic ga (used in rendering Tibetan and Mongolian sounds)
- Tibetan Ge: language of Buddha
- (dialect) final particle similar to 了[le5] (esp. in Yunnan)
How 噶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 葛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 噶
噶 is a mouth 口 next to 葛 (gé), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth making the sound "ga" to say a foreign name, since this character mostly exists to spell out sounds.
噶 mainly appears in transliterations of Tibetan and Mongolian words and names, and in Tibetan Buddhist terms. A well-known example is 噶举派 (Gájǔ pài), the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. In some dialects, especially in Yunnan, it is also used as a sentence-final particle similar to 了 (le).
Common mistake: Learners often read 噶 as gé because of its phonetic part 葛 (gé), but the standard reading is gá with a second tone. Also do not confuse it with 嘎 (gā), a different character used for sounds like quacking.
Questions about 噶
How many strokes are in 噶?
噶 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 噶 mean?
噶 (gá) means used in transliterations.
How do you pronounce 噶?
噶 is pronounced gá, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 噶?
The radical of 噶 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 噶 under this radical.
Is 噶 used in everyday Mandarin conversation?
Not much in standard Mandarin. You will mostly see it in names, place names, and religious terms from Tibetan or Mongolian. Its particle use is regional, heard in places like Yunnan.
What does 噶 mean when it stands alone?
On its own it carries almost no meaning in standard Mandarin, because it mainly records a sound. In Tibetan contexts it can stand for a word meaning the language or words of the Buddha, which is why it shows up in Buddhist school names.