耶 meaning and stroke order
Used in transliterations
How to write 耶, stroke by stroke
8 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 耶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (phonetic ye)
- interrogative particle (classical)
- final particle indicating enthusiasm etc
How 耶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ear.
耳 gives the meaning and 阝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 耳 (ear), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 耶
耶 is an ear 耳 (ěr) with the 阝 shape stuck on its right side, like a hand cupped to the ear to catch a sound. Think of someone hearing a name like 耶稣 (Yēsū, Jesus) and repeating the foreign sound.
Today 耶 mostly appears in transliterated names, read yē, as in 耶稣 (Yēsū, Jesus) and 耶路撒冷 (Yēlùsālěng, Jerusalem). In casual speech it is also an excited sentence-final word, read ye or yē, like English "yay". Example: 我们赢了，耶 (wǒmen yíng le, yē), We won, yay.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 耶 with 爷 (yé, grandpa) because they can sound the same, and they sometimes write 耳 with the wrong number of horizontal strokes. Also note that 耶 is read yē in names like 耶稣, not yé.
耶 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 耶
Learning 耶 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 耶
How many strokes are in 耶?
耶 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 耶 mean?
耶 (yé) means used in transliterations.
How do you pronounce 耶?
耶 is pronounced yé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 耶?
The radical of 耶 is 耳, which carries the idea of "ear". Dictionaries list 耶 under this radical.
Is 耶 the same as 椰 in coconut?
No. Coconut is 椰子 (yēzi), which adds the tree radical 木 to 耶. 耶 alone does not mean coconut, but it gives 椰 its sound.
How was 耶 used in classical Chinese?
In classical texts 耶 (yé) works as a question particle at the end of a sentence, similar to 吗 (ma) in modern Chinese. You will see it in older writing and set phrases, not in everyday speech.