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咯 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
final particleo, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
(phonetic)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
(final particle similar to 了, indicating that sth is obvious)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
to cough upunknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
also pr. [ka3]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
lofinal particleo, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
lo(phonetic)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
lo(final particle similar to 了, indicating that sth is obvious)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
loto cough upunknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
loalso pr. [ka3]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
luòfinal particleo, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
luò(phonetic)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
luò(final particle similar to 了, indicating that sth is obvious)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
luòto cough upunknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
luòalso pr. [ka3]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #1976, Hard
(ge1)
primary
T1
  1. 1final particle
  2. 2(phonetic)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(ge1)

The character 咯 (gē) is primarily used as a final particle in Mandarin, often implying that something is obvious or has been completed. It can also indicate a sound, like coughing or clearing one's throat. Its usage is informal and common in spoken Chinese, often adding a casual tone to the conversation.

Strokes9RadicalFrequency#1976DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In everyday Chinese conversations, the use of final particles like 咯 reflects the importance of tone and context in communication. It shows a relaxed and familiar interaction among speakers, typical in Chinese social settings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person coughing and saying 'gē' as they clear their throat. The sound mimics the action, and the character 咯 contains the radical 口 (kǒu), which signifies mouth, emphasizing its auditory nature.

Meanings of 咯

(ge1)
primary
1final particle
2(phonetic)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 咯

Simplified
9Strokes
Radical
拟声词onomatopoeia (onom.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 咯

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 咯

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person coughing and saying 'gē' as they clear their throat. The sound mimics the action, and the character 咯 contains the radical 口 (kǒu), which signifies mouth, emphasizing its auditory nature.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 咯 with 了 (le), as both serve as final particles but have different nuances. 咯 is more informal and casual, typically used in speech rather than formal writing. Pay attention to the tone; it should be pronounced with the first tone (gē).

HSK Study Tips

While 咯 is not included in the HSK curriculum, it is useful for conversational fluency. Students at this level should focus on recognizing informal speech patterns and final particles like 咯 in dialogues.

Cultural Note

In everyday Chinese conversations, the use of final particles like 咯 reflects the importance of tone and context in communication. It shows a relaxed and familiar interaction among speakers, typical in Chinese social settings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often forget to use the correct tone and pronounce it as 'ka' instead of 'gē'. Additionally, some might use it in overly formal contexts, which can sound awkward.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 咯

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Etymology of 咯

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 咯?

Decomposition of 咯

IDS Structure⿰口各
Full Character
=
kou3
left
ge4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 咯?

Write 咯

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 咯

咯 functions as an onomatopoeic word — it imitates a sound. It often functions as an adverbial or stand-alone exclamation rather than a true verb or noun. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

这实在很离奇,我忍不住____咯笑了起来。

It was so unreal that I broke into a fit of giggles.

Example Sentences for 咯 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这实在很离奇,我忍不住咯咯笑了起来。

zhè shí zài hěn lí qí, , wǒ rěn bù zhù kǎ kǎ xiào le qǐ。

It was so unreal that I broke into a fit of giggles.
2
在寒冷彻骨的海上,基茨开始发烧,不断地咯血。

zài hán lěng chè gǔ de hǎi shàng, , jī cí kāi shǐ fā, shāo , bù duàn dì。

On the chilly seas, Keats became feverish, continually coughing up blood.
3
我在胳肢他,他哈哈哈、咯咯咯地笑个不停。

wǒ zài gē zhī tā, , tā hā hā、 hā 、 kǎ kǎ kǎ dì xiào gè。

I was tickling him, and he was laughing and giggling.
4
女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。

nǚ hái zǐ mén ràng zhè xiào huà dòu dé kǎ kǎ xiào。

The girls giggled at the joke.
5
蕾特别喜欢咯咯地笑,而且总是爱开玩笑。

lěi tè bié xǐ huān kǎ kǎ dì xiào, , ér qiě zǒng shì ài kāi wán。

Ray was very giggly and joking all the time.
6
鸡在花园里咯咯叫。

jī zài huā yuán lǐ kǎ kǎ jiào。

Chickens clucked in the garden.
7
母鸡见到猫时咯咯叫了起来.

mǔ jī jiàn dào māo shí kǎ kǎ jiào le qǐ lái.

The hen gave a squawk when It'saw the cat.
8
母鸡下了蛋就咯咯地叫.

mǔ jī xià le dàn jiù kǎ kǎ dì jiào.

The hen cackles when she has laid an egg.
9
接着,她莫名其妙地咯咯笑了起来。

jiē zháo, , tā mò míng qí miào dì kǎ kǎ xiào le qǐ。

And then, unaccountably, she giggled.
10
他咯咯笑了笑。

tā kǎ kǎ xiào le xiào。

He gave a chortle.

Cultural Notes for 咯

🏮Cultural insight

In everyday Chinese conversations, the use of final particles like 咯 reflects the importance of tone and context in communication. It shows a relaxed and familiar interaction among speakers, typical in Chinese social settings.

Word Family of 咯

Words Containing This Character4
to cough up
咯咯(onom.) gurgle
咯吱groan
吡咯pyrrole (C4H5N) (loanword)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 咯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 咯

Use 咯 when you want to convey a sense of informality or when the information is obvious, while 了 is more formal and indicates a completed action.