誒 meaning and stroke order
Oh, hey; surprise (tone 2), disagreement (tone 3), agreement (tone 4)
How to write 誒, stroke by stroke
14 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 誒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sigh (to express regret)
- variant of 欸[ei1]
- variant of 欸[ei2]
- variant of 欸[ei3]
How 誒 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To verbally 言 confirm 矣 ; 矣 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 誒
On the left is 言 (yán, speech), and on the right is 矣 (yǐ), an old particle used to wrap up a statement. Picture someone speaking 言 and ending with a little sound 矣, a quick spoken "eh" or "hey" that reacts to what was just said. 矣 also hints at the sound.
誒 is an interjection, and its tone carries the meaning: éi shows surprise, ěi shows disagreement, and èi shows agreement, while ēi calls for attention. It is common in casual speech and chat messages. Example: 誒，你怎麼來了？ (Éi, nǐ zěnme lái le?) Huh, how come you're here?
Common mistake: Learners often say every 誒 in one flat tone, but the tone changes the meaning. A rising éi sounds surprised, while a falling èi sounds like agreement. Also, do not confuse the right side 矣 (yǐ) with 埃 (āi), which has 土 on the left instead of 言.
Questions about 誒
How many strokes are in 誒?
誒 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 誒 mean?
誒 (éi) means oh, hey; surprise (tone 2), disagreement (tone 3), agreement (tone 4).
How do you pronounce 誒?
誒 is pronounced éi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 誒?
The radical of 誒 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 誒 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 誒?
誒 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 诶, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 誒 and 欸?
The dictionary lists 誒 as a variant of 欸 for the ēi, éi and ěi readings, so they work as the same interjection. 欸 is the more standard form in many dictionaries, but you will see 誒 often in casual writing, especially in traditional script.
Does 誒 have a reading other than ei?
Yes. It can also be read xī, meaning a sigh that expresses regret. This reading is rare in modern speech, and most of the time you will meet 誒 as the ei interjection.