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唏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
唏xīto weep, to sob; to grievezg, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #26529, Very Hard
唏xīsound of sobbingunknown, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #26529, Very Hard
xī(xi1)xi T1
  1. 1to weep, to sob; to grieve
  2. 2sound of sobbing
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March 24, 2026

唏xī(xi1)

The character 唏 (xī) primarily denotes the sound of sobbing or weeping. It is often used to convey deep emotions, such as grief or sorrow, in literary contexts, capturing the essence of someone mourning or expressing sadness. This character is typically found in poetic or expressive language rather than in everyday conversation.

Strokes10Radical口Frequency#26529DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressions of grief and sorrow are often portrayed in literature and art, where sounds of weeping are symbolic of deep emotional connections and loss. The character 唏 highlights the cultural significance of expressing grief openly in various forms of artistic expression.

Memory tip

Imagine a person sobbing softly, the sound 'xī' lingering in the air like a whisper of sadness. The character 唏 resembles a mouth (口) making a soft sound, while the radical for 'voice' (音) reminds you of the emotional expression related to sorrow.

Meanings of 唏

xī(xi1)
1to weep, to sob; to grieve
2sound of sobbing
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 唏

唏Simplified
10Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 唏

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AI study notes for 唏

Usage Notes

唏 is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts rather than casual speech. Learners often mistake it for more common terms for crying or weeping, such as 哭 (kū), which is more straightforward. It’s also important to note that using 唏 in everyday conversation may sound overly dramatic.

HSK Study Tips

Although 唏 is not included in the HSK levels, it could be related to HSK vocabulary about emotions and expressions. Students should focus on recognizing it in reading contexts, especially in poetry or stories that evoke strong feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 唏 with 哭 (kū), leading to sentences like '我唏' (wǒ xī) meaning 'I sob', which sounds overly dramatic. A better expression would be '我哭' (wǒ kū) for 'I cry'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 唏

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Etymology of 唏

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

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

Memory hint

mouth

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

Origin

唏 = 口 + 希. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 唏

IDS Structure⿰口希
唏Full character
=
口kou3
left
希xi1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 唏?

How to say to weep, to sob; to grieve in Chinese

“to weep, to sob; to grieve” in Chinese is唏xī

The character 唏 (xī) primarily denotes the sound of sobbing or weeping. It is often used to convey deep emotions, such as grief or sorrow, in literary contexts, capturing the essence of someone mourning or expressing sadness. This character is typically found in poetic or expressive language rather than in everyday conversation.

When to use 唏

唏 is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts rather than casual speech. Learners often mistake it for more common terms for crying or weeping, such as 哭 (kū), which is more straightforward. It’s also important to note that using 唏 in everyday conversation may sound overly dramatic.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 唏 with 哭 (kū), leading to sentences like '我唏' (wǒ xī) meaning 'I sob', which sounds overly dramatic. A better expression would be '我哭' (wǒ kū) for 'I cry'.

Write 唏

唏

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

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Word Family of 唏

Words containing this character3
唏嘘to sob唏噓
唏xīsound of sobbing
唏哩哗啦(onom.) clatter (of mahjong tiles etc)唏哩嘩啦
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 唏

What does 唏嘘 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 唏

It is pronounced as 'xī', with a high-level tone.

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