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唵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
唵ǎnto eat with one's hands; used in transliterationszg, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #93095, Very Hard
唵ǎn(interjection) oh!unknown, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #93095, Very Hard
唵ǎn(dialect) to stuff sth in one's mouthunknown, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #93095, Very Hard
唵ǎn(used in buddhist transliterations) omunknown, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #93095, Very Hard
ǎn(an3) T3
  1. 1to eat with one's hands; used in transliterations
  2. 2(interjection) oh!
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

唵ǎn(an3)

The character 唵 (ǎn) has several meanings, primarily used in specific contexts. It can mean to eat with one's hands or to stuff something into one's mouth, often used in dialects. In Buddhist contexts, it is an interjection akin to 'om', used during meditation or chanting.

Strokes11Radical口Frequency#93095DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Buddhist culture, 唵 is significant as it is often used in mantras and is considered a sacred sound that embodies the essence of enlightenment.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with their hands full of food, exclaiming 'ǎn!' as they stuff their mouth with delicious morsels. The character's form includes the mouth radical (口), signifying eating, which ties to its meaning. Envision this scene to remember both the pronunciation and the core idea of the character.

Meanings of 唵

ǎn(an3)
1to eat with one's hands; used in transliterations
2(interjection) oh!
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 唵

唵Simplified
11Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 唵

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Podcast: 唵

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AI Study Notes for 唵

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 唵 (ǎn) with similar-sounding characters. It's more commonly used in informal settings or specific dialects rather than formal Mandarin. Be cautious with its pronunciation, especially the third tone, which can be easily mixed up with other tones.

HSK Study Tips

While 唵 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects to HSK Level 1 and 2 words related to eating and expressions. Focus on tone practice and incorporate it into your vocabulary about daily activities involving food.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 唵 (ǎn) by using a different tone, such as ān, which changes the meaning entirely. Additionally, some may confuse it with words like 吃 (chī), which means to eat in a general sense.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 唵

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Etymology of 唵

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 唵

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

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half奄 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 唵? 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 唵?

Decomposition of 唵

IDS Structure⿰口奄
唵Full Character
=
口kou3
left
奄yan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 唵?

How to say to eat with one's hands; used in transliterations in Chinese

“to eat with one's hands; used in transliterations” in Chinese is唵ǎn

The character 唵 (ǎn) has several meanings, primarily used in specific contexts. It can mean to eat with one's hands or to stuff something into one's mouth, often used in dialects. In Buddhist contexts, it is an interjection akin to 'om', used during meditation or chanting.

When to use 唵

Learners often confuse 唵 (ǎn) with similar-sounding characters. It's more commonly used in informal settings or specific dialects rather than formal Mandarin. Be cautious with its pronunciation, especially the third tone, which can be easily mixed up with other tones.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 唵 (ǎn) by using a different tone, such as ān, which changes the meaning entirely. Additionally, some may confuse it with words like 吃 (chī), which means to eat in a general sense.

Write 唵

唵

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 唵

Words Containing This Character1
唵ǎn(interjection) oh!
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 唵 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 唵

In Buddhism, 唵 is often used as an interjection or part of mantras, representing a sound of spiritual significance, akin to 'om' in other traditions.

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