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艾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
艾àisurname Aiunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àimugwort, Artemisia vulgaris; used in transliterationsnr, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àito mowunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àimoxaunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àito cutunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àito stop or cut shortunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àito reapunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àiphonetic "ai" or "i"unknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àito redressunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾àiabbr. for 艾滋病[ai4 zi1 bing4], AIDSunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìsurname Aiunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìmugwort, Artemisia vulgaris; used in transliterationsnr, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìto mowunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìmoxaunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìto cutunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìto stop or cut shortunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìto reapunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìphonetic "ai" or "i"unknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìto redressunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
艾yìabbr. for 艾滋病[ai4 zi1 bing4], AIDSunknown, 5 strokes, radical 艹, rank #2543, Medium
ài(Ai4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1surname Ai
  2. 2mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris; used in transliterations
Also a Chinese surname, Ai — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

艾ài(Ai4)

艾 (ài) primarily refers to mugwort, a plant known for its medicinal properties. It can also indicate actions like mowing or cutting, and is used in various transliterations. Additionally, it's part of the abbreviation for AIDS (艾滋病), linking it to health contexts in modern usage.

Strokes5Radical艹Frequency#2543DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, 艾 (mugwort) is significant for its use in moxibustion, a therapy that involves burning the herb near acupuncture points to promote healing.

Memory Tip

Think of '艾' as a plant with long, slender leaves waving in the wind, resembling the action of cutting through the air. The character's shape can remind you of the cutting action, while the pronunciation 'ài' sounds like 'I' in 'I cut,' making it easier to remember.

Meanings of 艾

ài(Ai4)
primary
1mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris; used in transliterations
2to mow
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 艾

艾Simplified
5Strokes
艹Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 艾

JasonAmy

Podcast: 艾

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 艾

Usage Notes

When using 艾, be mindful of its different meanings based on context. It's more formal when discussing health topics or traditional medicine, while everyday usage might be informal. Common collocations include 艾草 (mugwort) and 艾滋病 (AIDS).

HSK Study Tips

Although 艾 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, understanding it can help learners connect with related words in health and botany. Focus on its different meanings and pronunciations to enrich your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 艾 with similar-sounding characters. For example, mistaking 艾 (ài) for 爱 (ài, love) can lead to misunderstandings. Always double-check the context and meaning when you come across it.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 艾

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Etymology of 艾

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 乂 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

grass

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 艾

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 乂 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half乂 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 艾? 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 艾?

Decomposition of 艾

IDS Structure⿱艹乂
艾Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
乂yi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 艾?

How to say surname Ai in Chinese

“surname Ai” in Chinese is艾ài

艾 (ài) primarily refers to mugwort, a plant known for its medicinal properties. It can also indicate actions like mowing or cutting, and is used in various transliterations. Additionally, it's part of the abbreviation for AIDS (艾滋病), linking it to health contexts in modern usage.

When to use 艾

When using 艾, be mindful of its different meanings based on context. It's more formal when discussing health topics or traditional medicine, while everyday usage might be informal. Common collocations include 艾草 (mugwort) and 艾滋病 (AIDS).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 艾 with similar-sounding characters. For example, mistaking 艾 (ài) for 爱 (ài, love) can lead to misunderstandings. Always double-check the context and meaning when you come across it.

Write 艾

艾

Practice writing 艾 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 艾

艾 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 10 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 4

Complete the Sentence

该国内地的很多地区无法即时报告____滋病病例。

Many areas in the country'sinterior are unable to report Aids cases immediately.

Example Sentences for 艾 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
该国内地的很多地区无法即时报告艾滋病病例。

gāi guó nèi dì de hěn duō dì qū wú fǎ jí shí bào gào ài zī bìng bìng lì。

Many areas in the country'sinterior are unable to report Aids cases immediately.
2
艾滋病病毒携带者的官方数字并不高。

ài zī bìng bìng dú xié dài zhě de guān fāng shù zì bìng bù gāo。

The official number of people carrying the AIDS virus is low.
3
我拿起电话，就听到这个声音：“喂？是艾利森吗？”

wǒ ná qǐ diàn huà， ， jiù tīng dào zhè gè shēng：“ yīn？ ：“ wèi ？ shì ài？”

I answered the phone and this voice went, "Hello? Is that Alison?"
4
数年前，艾莱的农场就实现了机械化。

shù nián qián， ， ài lái de nóng cháng jiù shí xiàn le jī xiè。

Mechanization happened years ago on the farms of Islay.
5
喝下午茶的时候，维多利亚与其夫君艾伯特亲王表演了二重唱。

hē xià wǔ chá de shí hòu， ， wéi duō lì yà yǔ qí fū jūn ài bó tè qīn wáng biǎo yǎn le èr zhòng。

At tea-time, Victoria sang duets with her Consort, Prince Albert.
6
艾伦的脸皱了起来，好像要打喷嚏。

ài lún de liǎn zhòu le qǐ lái， ， hǎo xiàng yào dǎ pēn。

Ellen's face wrinkles as if she is about to sneeze.
7
艾森豪威尔用他的影响力说服国会修改了该项法律。

ài sēn háo wēi ěr yòng tā de yǐng xiǎng lì shuō fú guó huì xiū gǎi le gāi xiàng fǎ lǜ。

Eisenhower used his muscle to persuade Congress to change the law.
8
他许诺任命一位艾滋病大使来应对这种疾病。

tā xǔ nuò rèn mìng yī wèi ài zī bìng dà shǐ lái yīng duì zhè zhǒng jí bìng。

He promised to appoint an AIDS czar to deal with the disease.
9
艾森豪威尔离开白宫，退隐到他在葛底斯堡的农场。

ài sēn háo wēi ěr lí kāi bái gōng， ， tuì yǐn dào tā zài gé dǐ sī bǎo de nóng。

Eisenhower left the White House and retired to his farm in Gettysburg.
10
我有一种奇怪的感觉：艾丽斯是在警告我。

wǒ yǒu yī zhǒng qí guài de gǎn jué： ： ài lì sī shì zài jǐng gào。

I had this uncanny feeling that Alice was warning me.

Word Family of 艾

Words Containing This Character10
艾àimoxa
艾滋病àizībìngAIDS (loanword)
艾特at symbol, @
艾迪Eddie (name)
艾森豪威尔Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), US army general and politician, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II, US President 1953-1961艾森豪威爾
艾滋病毒the AIDS virus
布宜诺斯艾利斯Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina布宜諾斯艾利斯
方兴未艾on the up方興未艾
艾哈迈德Ahmed (name)艾哈邁德
艾青Ai Qing (1910-1996), Chinese poet
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 艾 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 艾

In medical contexts, 艾 often refers to moxibustion, a traditional therapeutic technique using mugwort.

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