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March 24, 2026
噢ō(o1)
The character 噢 (ō) is an interjection used to express surprise, realization, or an emotional reaction such as pain or sadness. It can be used in various contexts, often to convey a sudden understanding or a reaction to bad news, similar to the English 'oh!'
Strokes15Radical口Frequency#149DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing emotions openly can be more common than in some Western cultures. The use of interjections like 噢 reflects a natural and expressive way of communicating feelings in everyday conversations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person who has just stubbed their toe and lets out a loud '噢!' (ō). The character 噢 has a mouth (口) indicating the sound being made, and the '噢' resembles someone opening their mouth in surprise or pain.
Meanings of 噢
ō(o1)
1to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness
2Oh!
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 噢
噢Simplified
15Strokes
口Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 噢
Podcast: 噢
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AI Study Notes for 噢
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; 噢 (ō) should be pronounced with a high level tone. It is informal and typically used in spoken conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases expressing realization or surprise.
HSK Study Tips
Although 噢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is useful for conversational fluency. Students should focus on recognizing it in dialogues and understanding its emotional context to enhance their listening and speaking skills.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 噢 with 哦 (ó), which has different uses and tones. For example, saying '我噢知道了' instead of '我哦知道了' would be incorrect in context.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 噢
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Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 奥 represents the sound.
1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
2The sound half奥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymouth
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 噢? 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 噢?
Decomposition of 噢
IDS Structure⿰口奥
噢Full Character
=
口kou3
left
奥Ao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 噢?
How to say to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness in Chinese
“to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness” in Chinese is噢ō
The character 噢 (ō) is an interjection used to express surprise, realization, or an emotional reaction such as pain or sadness. It can be used in various contexts, often to convey a sudden understanding or a reaction to bad news, similar to the English 'oh!'
When to use 噢
Be cautious with the tone; 噢 (ō) should be pronounced with a high level tone. It is informal and typically used in spoken conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases expressing realization or surprise.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 噢 with 哦 (ó), which has different uses and tones. For example, saying '我噢知道了' instead of '我哦知道了' would be incorrect in context.
Write 噢
噢
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Practice writing 噢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 噢
噢 functions as an interjection — a standalone exclamation. It typically opens the sentence (啊！哎呀！) and is set off by a pause or comma. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
