Meaning of 哇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- replaces 啊[a5] when following the vowel "u" or "ao"
- Wow!
- sound of a child's crying
- sound of vomiting
How to use 哇
As a neutral-tone particle, 哇 (wa) replaces 啊 (a) after syllables ending in u or ao, softening or emphasizing a sentence. As wā it is an exclamation of surprise or the sound of crying. Example: 你好哇 (nǐ hǎo wa) Hi there.
哇 has a mouth 口 on the left and 圭 (guī) on the right, which helps hint at the sound. Picture a wide open mouth 口 letting out a loud "wa" sound, like a crying baby or someone saying wow.
Common mistake: Learners often use 哇 after any syllable, but as a particle it only follows sounds ending in u or ao, as in 好哇 or 走哇. After other sounds you get 呀 (ya), 哪 (na), or plain 啊.
哇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
哇 wa · replaces 啊[a5] when following the vowel… · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 哇.
| 好哇 | hǎowā | hurray!; hurrah! |
| 哇塞 | wāsāi | (slang) wow!; also pr. [wa1sei1] |
| 哇哇 | wāwā | sound of crying |
Questions about 哇
What does 哇 mean?
哇 (wa) means "replaces 啊[a5] when following the vowel "u" or "ao"" and is used as a auxiliary verb.
How do you write 哇?
哇 is made of 1 character: 哇 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 哇 an HSK word?
Yes. 哇 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 哇塞 mean and is it polite?
哇塞 (wāsāi) is slang for wow, used to show strong surprise or admiration. It is casual and fine among friends, but avoid it in formal speech or writing.
How do I describe a baby crying with 哇?
Use the doubled form 哇哇 (wāwā), often in 哇哇大哭 (wāwā dà kū), meaning to cry loudly. It imitates the sound of the crying.