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嘢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嘢yěthing; matter, substancex, 14 strokes, radical 口, rank #17869, Very Hard
嘢yěmatter (Cantonese)unknown, 14 strokes, radical 口, rank #17869, Very Hard
yě(ye3)ye T3
  1. 1thing; matter, substance
  2. 2matter (Cantonese)
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March 24, 2026

嘢yě(ye3)

The character 嘢 (yě) refers to a 'thing' or 'matter' in both Mandarin and Cantonese contexts. It is commonly used in informal speech to denote a tangible object or an abstract concept, often in conversational settings. In Cantonese, it is frequently paired with other words to express various ideas related to objects or situations.

Strokes14Radical口Frequency#17869DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Cantonese-speaking regions, 嘢 is an essential part of daily conversation, often reflecting the laid-back and pragmatic attitude towards discussing everyday matters. This character is commonly used in various phrases that illustrate local culture and lifestyle.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'yeti' (sounds like 'yě') holding a peculiar 'thing' in its hand. The character 嘢 has a mouth (口) on the left and a representation of an object or matter on the right, symbolizing the act of discussing things or matters verbally.

Meanings of 嘢

yě(ye3)
1thing; matter, substance
2matter (Cantonese)
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嘢

嘢Simplified
14Strokes
口Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嘢

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Podcast: 嘢

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AI study notes for 嘢

Usage Notes

嘢 is predominantly used in informal contexts, especially in spoken Cantonese. Learners often confuse it with similar-sounding words; thus, it's important to practice its usage in casual conversations. Avoid using 嘢 in formal writing as it may come across as too colloquial.

HSK Study Tips

While 嘢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other basic nouns and expressions of things, such as 东西 (dōngxi, things) and 事情 (shìqíng, matters). Students should focus on its informal usage in conversational practice.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嘢 with the Mandarin word 事情 (shìqíng), thinking they are interchangeable. However, 嘢 is more casual and specific to Cantonese, while 事情 is appropriate in both contexts. For example, saying '我有很多嘢' (I have many things) is fine in Cantonese, but in Mandarin, you'd say '我有很多东西'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嘢

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Etymology of 嘢

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

mouth

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

Origin

嘢 = 口 + 野. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嘢

IDS Structure⿰口野
嘢Full character
=
口kou3
left
野ye3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嘢?

How to say thing; matter, substance in Chinese

“thing; matter, substance” in Chinese is嘢yě

The character 嘢 (yě) refers to a 'thing' or 'matter' in both Mandarin and Cantonese contexts. It is commonly used in informal speech to denote a tangible object or an abstract concept, often in conversational settings. In Cantonese, it is frequently paired with other words to express various ideas related to objects or situations.

When to use 嘢

嘢 is predominantly used in informal contexts, especially in spoken Cantonese. Learners often confuse it with similar-sounding words; thus, it's important to practice its usage in casual conversations. Avoid using 嘢 in formal writing as it may come across as too colloquial.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嘢 with the Mandarin word 事情 (shìqíng), thinking they are interchangeable. However, 嘢 is more casual and specific to Cantonese, while 事情 is appropriate in both contexts. For example, saying '我有很多嘢' (I have many things) is fine in Cantonese, but in Mandarin, you'd say '我有很多东西'.

Write 嘢

嘢

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

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Word Family of 嘢

Words containing this character1
嘢yěthing

Frequently asked questions about 嘢

嘢 is primarily a Cantonese term, and while it might be understood in Mandarin, it is not commonly used.

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