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哑 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
哑yā(onom.) sound of cawingHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yāsound of infant learning to talkHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yādumbHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yāmuteHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yāhoarseHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yāhuskyHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yāunexploded (of artillery shell etc)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎ(onom.) sound of cawingHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎsound of infant learning to talkHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎdumbHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎmuteHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎhoarseHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎhuskyHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
哑yǎunexploded (of artillery shell etc)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #12515, Very Hard
yǎ(ya3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1(onom.) sound of cawing
  2. 2sound of infant learning to talk
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

哑(啞)yǎ(ya3)

The character 哑 (yā) primarily means mute or dumb, referring to a person who cannot speak. It can also describe a hoarse voice or the sound made by an infant trying to speak. Additionally, it is used in specific contexts to denote sounds, like cawing, and can refer to unexploded artillery shells.

Strokes9Radical口Frequency#12515DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of being mute or having a hoarse voice can carry significant social implications, often leading to misunderstandings or the need for alternative forms of communication in daily life, such as gestures or writing.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cow that is trying to moo but can only produce a hoarse 'yā' sound. The character 哑 resembles a mouth (口) trying to speak, but the 'mute' part (冂) suggests it cannot, solidifying the image of being unable to express sound.

Meanings of 哑

yǎ(ya3)
primary
1(onom.) sound of cawing
2sound of infant learning to talk
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 哑

哑Simplified
啞Traditional
9Strokes
口Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#12515Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 哑

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Podcast: 哑

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AI Study Notes for 哑

Quick Contrast

哑 (mute) vs 聋 (deaf) — use 哑 when referring to the inability to speak, whereas 聋 specifically relates to the inability to hear.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 哑 with similar-sounding characters like 呀 (yā), which has a different meaning and usage. 哑 is more formal and is often used in medical or literary contexts, so be mindful of your tone when using it in conversation.

HSK Study Tips

While 哑 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other words describing sounds or states of being. Students should focus on its use in contexts related to speech and communication, as well as its nuances in describing vocal quality.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 哑 with the character 呀 (yā), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For instance, saying '我哑了' instead of '我说话了' (I have spoken) would be incorrect, as 哑 implies not being able to speak.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 哑

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Etymology of 哑

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 亚 represents the sound. Simplified form of 啞.

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 哑

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 亚 represents the sound. Simplified form of 啞.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half亚 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 哑? 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 哑?

Decomposition of 哑

IDS Structure⿰口亚
哑Full Character
=
口kou3
left
亚ya4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 哑?

How to say (onom.) sound of cawing in Chinese

“(onom.) sound of cawing” in Chinese is哑yā

The character 哑 (yā) primarily means mute or dumb, referring to a person who cannot speak. It can also describe a hoarse voice or the sound made by an infant trying to speak. Additionally, it is used in specific contexts to denote sounds, like cawing, and can refer to unexploded artillery shells.

When to use 哑

Common mistakes include confusing 哑 with similar-sounding characters like 呀 (yā), which has a different meaning and usage. 哑 is more formal and is often used in medical or literary contexts, so be mindful of your tone when using it in conversation.

哑 or something close to it

哑 (mute) vs 聋 (deaf) — use 哑 when referring to the inability to speak, whereas 聋 specifically relates to the inability to hear.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 哑 with the character 呀 (yā), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For instance, saying '我哑了' instead of '我说话了' (I have spoken) would be incorrect, as 哑 implies not being able to speak.

Write 哑

哑

Practice writing 哑 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 哑

哑 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 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

“那么你认为如何？”她声音嘶____地悄声问道。

"So what do you think?" she said in a hoarse whisper.

Example Sentences for 哑 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“那么你认为如何？”她声音嘶哑地悄声问道。

“ “ nà mó nǐ rèn wéi rú？” hé ？” tā shēng yīn sī yǎ dì qiǎo shēng。

"So what do you think?" she said in a hoarse whisper.
2
他说话时声音沙哑颤抖。

tā shuō huà shí shēng yīn shā yǎ chàn dǒu。

When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and cracked.
3
它们有哑铜的，古铜的和镀银的。

tā mén yǒu yǎ tóng de， ， gǔ tóng de hé dù yín。

They are available in polished brass, antique brass or silver-plate.
4
“准备好了吗？”我声音沙哑地问道。

“ “ zhǔn bèi hǎo le？” ma ？” wǒ shēng yīn shā yǎ dì。

"Ready?" I asked huskily.
5
听到沙哑的录音，我立刻知道那是沃尔特·惠特曼。

tīng dào shā yǎ de lù yīn， ， wǒ lì kè zhī dào nà shì wò ěr· tè · huì。

Listening to the scratchy recording, I recognized Walt Whitman immediately.
6
一小群英国人挥舞着国旗，吼得嗓子都沙哑了。

yī xiǎo qún yīng guó rén huī wǔ zháo guó qí， ， hǒu dé sǎng zǐ dū shā yǎ。

The small British crowd roared themselves hoarse, waving their Union Jacks.
7
他能表演好几种令人惊叹的把戏，包括哑剧和玩杂耍。

tā néng biǎo yǎn hǎo jī zhǒng líng rén jīng tàn de bǎ xì， ， bāo kuò yǎ jù hé wán zá。

He can perform an astonishing variety of acts, including mime and juggling.
8
开过一枪后，枪哑火卡住了。

kāi guò yī qiāng hòu， ， qiāng yǎ huǒ kǎ zhù。

The gun misfired after one shot and jammed.
9
他冲他们大喊，叫他们小心哑雷。

tā chōng tā mén dà hǎn， ， jiào tā mén xiǎo xīn yǎ。

He called out to them to watch out for the unexploded mine.
10
于是热情的哑巴用拇指拨弄谦卑须眉的伞.

yú shì rè qíng de yǎ bā yòng mǔ zhǐ bō nòng qiān bēi xū méi de sǎn.

Thus the enthusiastic dumb man thumbed the humble man's umbrella.

Word Family of 哑

Words Containing This Character20
哑yǎdumb啞
哑巴mute啞巴
沙哑hoarse沙啞
聋哑lóngyǎdeaf and dumb聾啞
哑剧to mime啞劇
嘶哑hoarse嘶啞
哑铃dumbbell (weight)啞鈴
装聋作哑to play deaf-mute裝聾作啞
哑口无言at a loss for words啞口無言
哑谜puzzle啞謎
哑然失笑to laugh involuntarily啞然失笑
哑语sign language啞語
哑巴亏pent-up unspoken grievances啞巴虧
哑巴吃黄连also written 啞巴吃黃蓮|哑巴吃黄莲啞巴吃黃連
吃哑巴亏to be forced to suffer in silence吃啞巴虧
喑哑hoarse喑啞
哑口as if dumb啞口
打哑谜to talk in riddles打啞謎
粗哑husky粗啞
打哑语to use sign language打啞語
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 哑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 哑

哑 can mean mute, hoarse, or refer to sounds like cawing. It's important to consider the context in which you use it.

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