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噢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
ōto moan; interjection indicating pain or sadnesse, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #149, Hard
ōOh!unknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #149, Hard
ō(o1) T1
  1. 1to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness
  2. 2Oh!
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March 24, 2026
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!'

Strokes15RadicalFrequency#149DifficultyHard
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

Simplified
15Strokes
Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 噢

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Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 噢

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 噢

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 噢?

Decomposition of 噢

IDS Structure⿰口奥
Full Character
=
kou3
left
Ao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 噢?

Write 噢

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

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.

Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

“你根本就不明白!”——“____,我想我明白,格雷丝。”

"You don't understand!" — "Oh, I think I do, Grace."

Example Sentences for 噢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“你根本就不明白!”——“噢,我想我明白,格雷丝。”

“ “ nǐ gēn běn jiù bù míng!”——“ bái, !”——“ ō , wǒ xiǎng, wǒ míng bái。”

"You don't understand!" — "Oh, I think I do, Grace."
2
噢,他又干傻事了,是吧?

ō, , tā yòu gān shǎ shì, le ,?

Well, he's gone and done it again, hasn't he?
3
“我们俩在同时讲话。”——“噢,抱歉。”

“ “ wǒ mén liǎng zài tóng shí jiǎng。”——“ huà, 。”——“ ō。”

"We're all talking at the same time." — "Yeah. Sorry."
4
那儿有张便条,噢,其实不算是便条。

nà ér yǒu zhāng biàn tiáo, ,, ō , qí shí bù suàn shì。

There was a note. Well, not really a note.
5
噢,好了,理智一点。

ō, , hǎo, le , lǐ zhì。

Oh, come on, be reasonable.
6
查理?噢,他是个不可多得的好帮手,非常喜欢孩子。

chá lǐ? ?, ō , tā shì gè bù kě duō dé de hǎo, bāng shǒu , fēi cháng xǐ。

Charlie? Oh, he's a treasure, loves children.
7
噢,约翰,关于那一点,我觉得你说得对.

ō, , yuē, hàn , guān yú nà, yī diǎn , wǒ jué dé nǐ.

Oh I take your point, John, about that.
8
“噢,”她有些不自在地说道,“是什么?”

“ “,” ō ,” tā yǒu xiē bù zì zài dì,“ shuō dào ,“?”

"Well," she said a little uneasily, "what is it?"
9
噢,我不关心政治,对政治一点也不感兴趣。

ō, , wǒ bù guān xīn zhèng, zhì , duì zhèng zhì yī diǎn yě bù gǎn。

Oh I'm not political, I take no interest in politics.
10
人们赞誉她的歌声时,特里实际上会说“噢,没什么!”

rén mén zàn yù tā de gē shēng shí, , tè lǐ shí jì shàng huì“ shuō, “ ō ,!”

Terry actually says "Oh, shucks!" when complimented on her singing.

Cultural Notes for 噢

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 噢

Words Containing This Character1
ōOh!
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 噢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 噢

It translates to 'oh!' and is used to express surprise, realization, or emotional reaction.