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啾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
啾jiūthe wailing of a childx, 12 strokes, radical 口
啾jiū(onom.) wailing of childunknown, 12 strokes, radical 口
啾jiūchirpunknown, 12 strokes, radical 口
啾jiūkiss (Tw)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 口
jiū(jiu1)jiu T1
  1. 1the wailing of a child
  2. 2(onom.) wailing of child
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March 24, 2026

啾jiū(jiu1)

The character 啾 (jiū) primarily represents the sound of a child wailing or chirping, akin to an onomatopoeic expression. It is commonly used in contexts related to the sounds made by young children or animals, and can also be used in a more playful context to refer to a kiss, especially in Taiwanese Mandarin.

Strokes12Radical口
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the sounds of children are often emphasized in songs and stories, reflecting the importance of childhood and playfulness. The use of onomatopoeia like 啾 highlights the expressive nature of the language.

Memory tip

Imagine a child making a high-pitched ‘jiū’ sound, like a bird chirping or crying. The character has a mouth radical (口) indicating sound, and its phonetic component (丿) can remind you of movement, like a child flailing while crying.

Meanings of 啾

jiū(jiu1)
1the wailing of a child
2(onom.) wailing of child
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 啾

啾Simplified
12Strokes
口Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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AI study notes for 啾

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 啾 with other similar-sounding characters. It is generally informal and used in playful contexts, so avoid using it in serious discussions. Common collocations include phrases that describe sounds, such as 啾啾 (chirp chirp).

HSK Study Tips

Although 啾 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, it can be related to HSK Level 1 characters that involve sounds or actions. Focus on recognizing it in context, especially in children's stories or casual conversations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 啾 with the similar-sounding 鸟 (niǎo), which means 'bird'. Remember that 啾 specifically refers to the sound made by the bird or child rather than the bird itself.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 啾

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Etymology of 啾

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

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

Memory hint

mouth

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

Origin

啾 = 口 + 秋. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 啾

IDS Structure⿰口秋
啾Full character
=
口kou3
left
秋Qiu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 啾?

How to say the wailing of a child in Chinese

“the wailing of a child” in Chinese is啾jiū

The character 啾 (jiū) primarily represents the sound of a child wailing or chirping, akin to an onomatopoeic expression. It is commonly used in contexts related to the sounds made by young children or animals, and can also be used in a more playful context to refer to a kiss, especially in Taiwanese Mandarin.

When to use 啾

Be careful not to confuse 啾 with other similar-sounding characters. It is generally informal and used in playful contexts, so avoid using it in serious discussions. Common collocations include phrases that describe sounds, such as 啾啾 (chirp chirp).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 啾 with the similar-sounding 鸟 (niǎo), which means 'bird'. Remember that 啾 specifically refers to the sound made by the bird or child rather than the bird itself.

Write 啾

啾

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

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Word Family of 啾

Words containing this character3
啾jiūchirp
啁啾zhōujiūchirp
唧啾jījiū(onom.) babble
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 啾

What does 啁啾 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 啾

啾 primarily refers to the sounds of wailing, chirping, or a playful kiss, depending on the context.

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