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嘁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嘁qīashamed; grieving; onomatopoetico, 14 strokes, radical 口, rank #46647, Very Hard
嘁qīwhispering soundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 口, rank #46647, Very Hard
qī(qi1)qi T1
  1. 1ashamed; grieving; onomatopoetic
  2. 2whispering sound
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March 24, 2026

嘁qī(qi1)

The character 嘁 (qī) primarily conveys a sense of whispering or soft sounds, often associated with feelings of shame or grief. It can be used to describe a sound made when someone is whispering or expressing sorrow quietly. This character is not commonly used in isolation and may appear more frequently in compounds or poetic contexts.

Strokes14Radical口Frequency#46647DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

The character 嘁 may evoke the cultural context of expressing subtle emotions, such as shame or quiet sorrow, which resonates in Chinese poetry and literature where nuanced emotional expression is valued.

Memory tip

Imagine someone whispering a secret (the sound 'qī') while feeling ashamed. The character 嘁 looks like a person covering their mouth (the mouth part is at the top) while expressing a quiet sorrow, making it easier to remember the sound and meaning.

Meanings of 嘁

qī(qi1)
1ashamed; grieving; onomatopoetic
2whispering sound
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嘁

嘁Simplified
14Strokes
口Radical
拟声词onomatopoeia (onom.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嘁

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Podcast: 嘁

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AI study notes for 嘁

Usage Notes

嘁 is often used in informal contexts and may not be recognized in formal writing. Learners should be aware that it can appear in poetic expressions or as part of a phrase, so it's not commonly used alone. Pay attention to the tone, as mispronouncing it can change the intended meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 嘁 is not in the official HSK levels, it connects to other sound-related characters. Students should focus on recognizing its nuances in meaning and pronunciation, rather than using it in everyday conversation, as it's rare in practical usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 嘁 with similar-sounding characters like 器 (qì) which means 'instrument'. It's essential to remember the meaning and context of 嘁 as related to whispering or expressing shame.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嘁

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Etymology of 嘁

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

mouth

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

Origin

嘁 = 口 + 戚. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嘁

IDS Structure⿰口戚
嘁Full character
=
口kou3
left
戚qi1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嘁?

How to say ashamed; grieving; onomatopoetic in Chinese

“ashamed; grieving; onomatopoetic” in Chinese is嘁qī

The character 嘁 (qī) primarily conveys a sense of whispering or soft sounds, often associated with feelings of shame or grief. It can be used to describe a sound made when someone is whispering or expressing sorrow quietly. This character is not commonly used in isolation and may appear more frequently in compounds or poetic contexts.

When to use 嘁

嘁 is often used in informal contexts and may not be recognized in formal writing. Learners should be aware that it can appear in poetic expressions or as part of a phrase, so it's not commonly used alone. Pay attention to the tone, as mispronouncing it can change the intended meaning.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 嘁 with similar-sounding characters like 器 (qì) which means 'instrument'. It's essential to remember the meaning and context of 嘁 as related to whispering or expressing shame.

Write 嘁

嘁

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

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Word Family of 嘁

Words containing this character2
嘁qīwhispering sound
嘁嘁喳喳qīqichāchāchattering
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 嘁

What does 嘁嘁喳喳 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 嘁

You might say 嘁, 我真羞愧 (qī, wǒ zhēn xiūkuì) meaning 'Sigh, I feel so ashamed.'

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