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嗬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗬hēhey, hello; interrogative particlee, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #14338, Hard
嗬hēhey! (exclamation)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #14338, Hard
嗬hēI say!unknown, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #14338, Hard
hē(he1) T1
  1. 1hey, hello; interrogative particle
  2. 2hey! (exclamation)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嗬hē(he1)

The character 嗬 (hē) is an exclamatory interjection often used to draw attention or express surprise, akin to saying 'hey!' in English. It can also serve as an interrogative particle, prompting a response or indicating that the speaker is about to say something important. This character is typically used in informal contexts.

Strokes13Radical口Frequency#14338DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In modern Chinese culture, using exclamatory phrases like 嗬 reflects a laid-back, friendly interaction style, especially among younger generations. It's common to hear this expression in casual conversations or among peers.

Memory Tip

Imagine someone waving their arms and shouting 'Hey!' to grab attention. The character 嗬 has a 'mouth' radical (口) which symbolizes speaking or calling out, and the sound 'hē' resembles the exclamation used when someone wants to be noticed. Picture a friend excitedly saying 'hē!' to get your attention.

Meanings of 嗬

hē(he1)
1hey, hello; interrogative particle
2hey! (exclamation)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 嗬

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

Podcast: 嗬

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Podcast: 嗬

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AI Study Notes for 嗬

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine someone waving their arms and shouting 'Hey!' to grab attention. The character 嗬 has a 'mouth' radical (口) which symbolizes speaking or calling out, and the sound 'hē' resembles the exclamation used when someone wants to be noticed. Picture a friend excitedly saying 'hē!' to get your attention.

Usage Notes

While 嗬 is informal and commonly used among friends, it may not be appropriate in formal situations. Be cautious of the tone, as excessive use can come off as rude or overly familiar. Common collocations include 嗬，怎么了？ (Hey, what's up?) to inquire about someone’s situation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 嗬 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it enriches conversational skills at lower levels. Students should focus on its informal usage and practice in dialogues to enhance their conversational fluency.

Cultural Note

In modern Chinese culture, using exclamatory phrases like 嗬 reflects a laid-back, friendly interaction style, especially among younger generations. It's common to hear this expression in casual conversations or among peers.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗬 with other exclamatory expressions like 哎 (āi) or 嘿 (hēi), which have different tones and nuances. For instance, saying 嗬 when addressing a superior is incorrect; use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗬

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Etymology of 嗬

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

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

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 嗬?

Decomposition of 嗬

IDS Structure⿰口荷
嗬Full Character
=
口kou3
left
荷He2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嗬?

Write 嗬

嗬

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

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Grammar Patterns of 嗬

嗬 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 3 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

“____，天哪！那评论有点种族歧视，不是吗？”

"Ooh dear me, that's a bit of a racist comment isn't it."

Example Sentences for 嗬 (3)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“嗬，天哪！那评论有点种族歧视，不是吗？”

“ “， hē ，！ tiān nǎ ！ nà píng lùn yǒu diǎn zhǒng， zú qí shì？”

"Ooh dear me, that's a bit of a racist comment isn't it."
2
“红色？嗬，真不错。”

“ “ hóng？ sè， ？ hē ，。”

"Red? Ooh how nice."
3
十五个汉子扒上了死人胸 —— 哟 —— 嗬 —— 嗬,再来郎姆酒一大瓶!

shí wǔ gè hàn zǐ bā shàng le sǐ rén xiōng—— ———— yō—— ——, hē —— hē , zài lái láng mǔ!

Fifteen men on the dead man's chest - Yo - ho - ho and a bottle of rum!

Cultural Notes for 嗬

🏮Cultural insight

In modern Chinese culture, using exclamatory phrases like 嗬 reflects a laid-back, friendly interaction style, especially among younger generations. It's common to hear this expression in casual conversations or among peers.

Word Family of 嗬

Words Containing This Character1
嗬hēI say!
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 嗬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嗬

Use 嗬 in informal conversations to grab someone's attention or express surprise.