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嗟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗟jiēsigh, alasv, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #98985, Very Hard
嗟jiēalso pr. [jue1]unknown, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #98985, Very Hard
jiē(jie1) T1
  1. 1sigh, alas
  2. 2also pr. [jue1]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嗟jiē(jie1)

The character 嗟 (jiē) means to sigh or express a feeling of lament. It is often used in literary contexts to convey a sense of sadness or regret, similar to saying 'alas' in English. This word can evoke deep emotional responses and is typically found in poems or reflective writings.

Strokes12Radical口Frequency#98985DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, expressions of sighing often reflect the philosophical ideas of impermanence and the transient nature of life, which are prevalent in classical poetry. This character embodies that cultural reflection on life’s fleeting moments.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person sighing deeply while looking at a beautiful, yet fleeting sunset. The sound of their sigh, 'jiē,' is like a whisper of longing, connecting the character's pronunciation to the emotion it conveys. The components of the character suggest a vocal expression of feeling, as it combines the radical for 'mouth' (口) with the sound element.

Meanings of 嗟

jiē(jie1)
1sigh, alas
2also pr. [jue1]
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 嗟

嗟Simplified
12Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嗟

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Podcast: 嗟

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AI Study Notes for 嗟

Usage Notes

Learners often misuse 嗟 in informal contexts, where a simple 'sigh' might be more appropriate. It is mostly used in literary or poetic language rather than everyday conversation. Be mindful of the tonal pronunciation; a wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

Although 嗟 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can enrich your understanding of emotional expressions in Chinese. Focus on how this character connects with similar expressions of emotion, such as 哀 (āi, to grieve) and 哭 (kū, to cry), to deepen your mastery of feelings in the language.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗟 with other similar-sounding terms. For example, saying 嗟 (jiē) when they mean 叫 (jiào, to call) can lead to confusion. Always check the context to ensure you're expressing the correct emotion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗟

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Etymology of 嗟

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)差
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 嗟

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

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half差 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 嗟? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 嗟?

Decomposition of 嗟

IDS Structure⿰口差
嗟Full Character
=
口kou3
left
差cha1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嗟?

How to say sigh, alas in Chinese

“sigh, alas” in Chinese is嗟jiē

The character 嗟 (jiē) means to sigh or express a feeling of lament. It is often used in literary contexts to convey a sense of sadness or regret, similar to saying 'alas' in English. This word can evoke deep emotional responses and is typically found in poems or reflective writings.

When to use 嗟

Learners often misuse 嗟 in informal contexts, where a simple 'sigh' might be more appropriate. It is mostly used in literary or poetic language rather than everyday conversation. Be mindful of the tonal pronunciation; a wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嗟 with other similar-sounding terms. For example, saying 嗟 (jiē) when they mean 叫 (jiào, to call) can lead to confusion. Always check the context to ensure you're expressing the correct emotion.

Write 嗟

嗟

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

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Word Family of 嗟

Words Containing This Character1
嗟jiēsigh
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 嗟 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嗟

No, it is more prevalent in literary contexts and is rarely used in everyday speech.

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