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嗚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗚wūthe sound of someone crying or sobbingzg, 13 strokes, radical 口
wū(wu1)wu T1
  1. 1the sound of someone crying or sobbing
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March 24, 2026

嗚wū(wu1)

The character 嗚 (wū) represents the sound of sobbing or crying, often used to express grief or sadness. It captures an emotional vocalization rather than a specific action, and is commonly found in literary contexts or emotional dialogues.

Strokes13Radical口
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressions of sorrow, such as crying, are often seen in literature and traditional arts, reflecting the deep emotional connections within familial and social relationships. 嗚 can evoke the shared experience of loss or sadness in storytelling.

Memory tip

Imagine a child who has lost their favorite toy, letting out a long, drawn-out 'wū' as they cry. The character 嗚 looks like a person with their mouth open, creating the sound of crying, which helps you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 嗚

wū(wu1)
1the sound of someone crying or sobbing
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嗚

嗚Simplified
13Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嗚

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Podcast: 嗚

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AI study notes for 嗚

Usage Notes

Be cautious using 嗚 in formal contexts, as it is more suitable for informal or emotional expressions. It may also appear in poetry or songs rather than everyday conversation. A common mistake is confusing it with 哀 (āi), which refers to mourning more generally; 嗚 is specifically about the sound of crying.

HSK Study Tips

Although 嗚 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it shares emotional connotations with other level-appropriate words like 哭 (kū), meaning 'to cry.' Focus on recognizing how these words can enhance emotional expression in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗚 with similar-sounding characters like 呜 (wū), which also represents a sound but is used more broadly. Remember, 嗚 specifically conveys the sound of crying.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗚

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Etymology of 嗚

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 乌 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嗚.

Memory hint

mouth

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

Origin

嗚 = 口 + 烏. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嗚

IDS Structure⿰口烏
嗚Full character
=
口kou3
left
烏wu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嗚?

How to say the sound of someone crying or sobbing in Chinese

“the sound of someone crying or sobbing” in Chinese is嗚wū

The character 嗚 (wū) represents the sound of sobbing or crying, often used to express grief or sadness. It captures an emotional vocalization rather than a specific action, and is commonly found in literary contexts or emotional dialogues.

When to use 嗚

Be cautious using 嗚 in formal contexts, as it is more suitable for informal or emotional expressions. It may also appear in poetry or songs rather than everyday conversation. A common mistake is confusing it with 哀 (āi), which refers to mourning more generally; 嗚 is specifically about the sound of crying.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嗚 with similar-sounding characters like 呜 (wū), which also represents a sound but is used more broadly. Remember, 嗚 specifically conveys the sound of crying.

Write 嗚

嗚

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

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Word Family of 嗚

Words containing this character6
呜wū(onom.) for humming or whimpering嗚
呜呜(interj) boo hoo嗚嗚
呜呼alas嗚呼
呜咽wūyèto sob嗚咽
一命呜呼to die (idiom)一命嗚呼
呜呼哀哉alas嗚呼哀哉
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 嗚

What does 呜 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 嗚

No, it's more common in emotional contexts such as literature or poetry.

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