Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
噢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
噢ōto moan; interjection indicating pain or sadnesse, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #149, Easy
噢ōOh!unknown, 15 strokes, radical 口, rank #149, Easy
ō(o1)o T1
  1. 1to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness
  2. 2Oh!
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

噢ō(o1)

The character 噢 (ō) is an interjection used to express surprise, realization, or an emotional reaction such as pain or sadness. It can be used in various contexts, often to convey a sudden understanding or a reaction to bad news, similar to the English 'oh!'

Strokes15Radical口Frequency#149DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressing emotions openly can be more common than in some Western cultures. The use of interjections like 噢 reflects a natural and expressive way of communicating feelings in everyday conversations.

Memory tip

Imagine a person who has just stubbed their toe and lets out a loud '噢!' (ō). The character 噢 has a mouth (口) indicating the sound being made, and the '噢' resembles someone opening their mouth in surprise or pain.

Meanings of 噢

ō(o1)
1to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness
2Oh!
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 噢 means.

About 噢

噢Simplified
15Strokes
口Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 噢

JasonAmy

Podcast: 噢

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 噢

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 噢 (ō) should be pronounced with a high level tone. It is informal and typically used in spoken conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases expressing realization or surprise.

HSK Study Tips

Although 噢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is useful for conversational fluency. Students should focus on recognizing it in dialogues and understanding its emotional context to enhance their listening and speaking skills.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 噢 with 哦 (ó), which has different uses and tones. For example, saying '我噢知道了' instead of '我哦知道了' would be incorrect in context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 噢

Premium — Locked

Tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 噢, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsPitch drawing+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 噢 to you

Let me explain 噢 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 噢 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

How well do you know 噢?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 噢 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 噢

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

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

Memory hint

mouth

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

Origin

噢 = 口 + 奥. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 噢

IDS Structure⿰口奥
噢Full character
=
口kou3
left
奥Ao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 噢?

How to say to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness in Chinese

“to moan; interjection indicating pain or sadness” in Chinese is噢ō

The character 噢 (ō) is an interjection used to express surprise, realization, or an emotional reaction such as pain or sadness. It can be used in various contexts, often to convey a sudden understanding or a reaction to bad news, similar to the English 'oh!'

When to use 噢

Be cautious with the tone; 噢 (ō) should be pronounced with a high level tone. It is informal and typically used in spoken conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases expressing realization or surprise.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 噢 with 哦 (ó), which has different uses and tones. For example, saying '我噢知道了' instead of '我哦知道了' would be incorrect in context.

Write 噢

噢

Practice writing 噢 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 噢

噢 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 2 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 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

“你根本就不明白!”——“____,我想我明白,格雷丝。”

"You don't understand!" — "Oh, I think I do, Grace."

Example sentences for 噢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“你根本就不明白!”——“噢,我想我明白,格雷丝。”

“ nǐ gēnběn jiù bù míngbai!”——“ ō, wǒ xiǎng wǒ míngbai, gé léi sī。”

"You don't understand!" — "Oh, I think I do, Grace."
2
噢,他又干傻事了,是吧?

ō, tā yòu gān shǎ shì le, shì ba?

Well, he's gone and done it again, hasn't he?
3
“我们俩在同时讲话。”——“噢,抱歉。”

“ wǒmen liǎ zài tóngshí jiǎnghuà。”——“ ō, bàoqiàn。”

"We're all talking at the same time." — "Yeah. Sorry."
4
那儿有张便条,噢,其实不算是便条。

nàr yǒu zhāng biàntiáo, ō, qíshí bù suànshì biàntiáo。

There was a note. Well, not really a note.
5
噢,好了,理智一点。

ō, hǎo le, lǐzhì yīdiǎn。

Oh, come on, be reasonable.
6
查理?噢,他是个不可多得的好帮手,非常喜欢孩子。

chá lǐ? ō, tā shì gè bù kě duō de de hǎo bāngshou, fēicháng xǐhuan háizi。

Charlie? Oh, he's a treasure, loves children.
7
噢,约翰,关于那一点,我觉得你说得对.

ō, yāo hàn, guānyú nà yīdiǎn, wǒ juéde nǐ shuō de duì.

Oh I take your point, John, about that.
8
“噢,”她有些不自在地说道,“是什么?”

“ ō,” tā yǒuxiē bù zìzai dì shuōdào,“ shì shénme?”

"Well," she said a little uneasily, "what is it?"
9
噢,我不关心政治,对政治一点也不感兴趣。

ō, wǒ bù guānxīn zhèngzhì, duì zhèngzhì yīdiǎn yě bù gǎnxìngqù。

Oh I'm not political, I take no interest in politics.
10
人们赞誉她的歌声时,特里实际上会说“噢,没什么!”

rénmen zàn yù tā de gēshēng shí, tè lǐ shíjìshàng huì shuō“ ō, méishénme!”

Terry actually says "Oh, shucks!" when complimented on her singing.

Ask Jason

Have a question about 噢?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

Word Family of 噢

Words containing this character1
噢ōOh!

Frequently asked questions about 噢

It translates to 'oh!' and is used to express surprise, realization, or emotional reaction.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 噢?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab