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嗄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗄áhoarsee, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #23299, Very Hard
嗄shàhoarsee, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #23299, Very Hard
á(a2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1hoarse
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嗄á(a2)

The character 嗄 (á) primarily means 'hoarse,' often describing a voice that is rough or strained, usually due to illness or fatigue. It can also serve as a variant of the character 啊 (a), which is used to express exclamation or affirmation in informal contexts. Its usage is relatively rare in everyday conversation.

Strokes13Radical口Frequency#23299DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, a hoarse voice is often linked to body imbalances, particularly involving the lungs or throat, reflecting the importance of voice quality in personal health.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person trying to speak but their voice comes out hoarse, like a 'huh' sound. The character 嗄 has a mouth (口) component, suggesting it relates to speaking or voice, while the 'ah' sound in the pinyin á can remind you of how a hoarse voice strains to produce sound.

Meanings of 嗄

á(a2)
primary
1hoarse
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 嗄

嗄Simplified
13Strokes
口Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嗄

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Podcast: 嗄

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AI Study Notes for 嗄

Usage Notes

Learners might confuse 嗄 with its more common variant 啊; use 嗄 specifically when describing a hoarse voice. It is an informal term, so it may not be suitable for formal writing. A common collocation is '嗄声' (hoarse voice).

HSK Study Tips

Though 嗄 is not included in any HSK level, recognizing it can enhance your understanding of voice-related vocabulary. Focus on related terms that describe sound and voice, which may appear in higher HSK levels.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗄 with 啊, using 嗄 in contexts where 啊 is appropriate, such as exclamations. Correct usage would be saying '我嗄了' (I have a hoarse voice) instead of '我啊了'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗄

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Etymology of 嗄

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 嗄

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

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夏 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 嗄? 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 嗄?

Decomposition of 嗄

IDS Structure⿰口夏
嗄Full Character
=
口kou3
left
夏Xia4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嗄?

How to say hoarse in Chinese

“hoarse” in Chinese is嗄á

The character 嗄 (á) primarily means 'hoarse,' often describing a voice that is rough or strained, usually due to illness or fatigue. It can also serve as a variant of the character 啊 (a), which is used to express exclamation or affirmation in informal contexts. Its usage is relatively rare in everyday conversation.

When to use 嗄

Learners might confuse 嗄 with its more common variant 啊; use 嗄 specifically when describing a hoarse voice. It is an informal term, so it may not be suitable for formal writing. A common collocation is '嗄声' (hoarse voice).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嗄 with 啊, using 嗄 in contexts where 啊 is appropriate, such as exclamations. Correct usage would be saying '我嗄了' (I have a hoarse voice) instead of '我啊了'.

Write 嗄

嗄

Practice writing 嗄 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 嗄

嗄 functions as an interjection — a standalone exclamation. It typically opens the sentence (啊！哎呀！) and is set off by a pause or comma. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

他们的木底鞋踩在雪地上吱吱____嗄直响.

Their wooden clogs squeak in the snow.

Example Sentences for 嗄 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们的木底鞋踩在雪地上吱吱嗄嗄直响.

tā mén de mù dǐ xié cǎi zài xuě dì shàng zhī zhī shà shà zhí xiǎng.

Their wooden clogs squeak in the snow.

Word Family of 嗄

Words Containing This Character1
嗄áAh!
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 嗄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嗄

No, 嗄 is relatively rare and is primarily used in specific contexts relating to voice.

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