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娥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
娥ébeautiful, pretty; good; surnamen, 10 strokes, radical 女, rank #26602, Very Hard
é(e2)e T2
  1. 1beautiful, pretty; good; surname
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March 24, 2026

娥é(e2)

The character 娥 (é) primarily means 'beautiful' or 'pretty' and is often used in contexts describing women or feminine beauty. It can also refer to a surname. In literature and poetry, it conveys a sense of grace and charm.

Strokes10Radical女Frequency#26602DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, beauty is often celebrated in poetry and art, and the character 娥 embodies this ideal. It's common to refer to women as 娥 when expressing admiration for their beauty, especially in traditional contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a graceful woman (娥) standing in a garden filled with flowers, symbolizing beauty. The radical 女 (nǚ) indicates femininity, while the shape suggests elegance. The pronunciation 'é' can be remembered as the sound of admiration when seeing something beautiful: 'ah!'

Meanings of 娥

é(e2)
1beautiful, pretty; good; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 娥

娥Simplified
10Strokes
女Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 娥

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Podcast: 娥

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AI study notes for 娥

Quick Contrast

娥 (é) vs 佳 (jiā) — use 娥 for feminine beauty specifically, while 佳 is more general for anything good or fine.

Usage Notes

This term is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday conversation. Be mindful of its formal tone; using 娥 in casual settings might sound overly dramatic. It often appears in phrases that emphasize beauty, such as 娥眉 (é méi - beautiful eyebrows).

HSK Study Tips

While 娥 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, it fits well with other adjectives relating to beauty and aesthetics. Focus on learning similar adjectives to enhance your descriptive vocabulary, such as 美 (měi) for 'beautiful' and 漂亮 (piàoliang) for 'pretty.'

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 娥 with similar characters like 妍 (yán), which also means beautiful but is more general. For example, saying 娥 can be misapplied to contexts where 妍 is more appropriate, such as in describing a beautiful scene.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 娥

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Etymology of 娥

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

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 我 represents the sound.

Memory hint

woman

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

Origin

娥 = 女 + 我. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 娥

IDS Structure⿰女我
娥Full character
=
女nü3
left
我wo3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 娥?

How to say beautiful, pretty; good; surname in Chinese

“beautiful, pretty; good; surname” in Chinese is娥é

The character 娥 (é) primarily means 'beautiful' or 'pretty' and is often used in contexts describing women or feminine beauty. It can also refer to a surname. In literature and poetry, it conveys a sense of grace and charm.

When to use 娥

This term is more commonly used in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday conversation. Be mindful of its formal tone; using 娥 in casual settings might sound overly dramatic. It often appears in phrases that emphasize beauty, such as 娥眉 (é méi - beautiful eyebrows).

娥 or something close to it

娥 (é) vs 佳 (jiā) — use 娥 for feminine beauty specifically, while 佳 is more general for anything good or fine.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 娥 with similar characters like 妍 (yán), which also means beautiful but is more general. For example, saying 娥 can be misapplied to contexts where 妍 is more appropriate, such as in describing a beautiful scene.

Write 娥

娥

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

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Cultural Notes for 娥

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

The concept of beauty in Chinese culture often emphasizes grace and subtlety, contrasting with some Western ideals that may prioritize boldness and flamboyance.

Word Family of 娥

Words containing this character3
娥égood
嫦娥chángéChang'e, the lady in the moon (Chinese mythology)
娥眉(fig.) beautiful woman
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 娥

What does 嫦娥 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 娥

No, 娥 specifically refers to feminine beauty and is used primarily for women.

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