Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
衙 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
衙yápublic office; official residencen, 13 strokes, radical 行, rank #68663, Very Hard
衙yáyamen 衙門|衙门unknown, 13 strokes, radical 行, rank #68663, Very Hard
衙yásurname Yaunknown, 13 strokes, radical 行, rank #68663, Very Hard
yá(Ya2) T2
  1. 1public office; official residence
  2. 2yamen 衙門|衙门
Also a Chinese surname, Ya — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

衙yá(Ya2)

The character 衙 (yá) refers to a public office or an official residence, particularly in historical contexts relating to local government administration in China. It is often associated with yamen (衙门), which were the offices of local officials during imperial times. This term carries a sense of authority and governance.

Strokes13Radical行Frequency#68663DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese society, the yamen served as the local administrative offices where officials handled civil and legal matters, reflecting the importance of bureaucratic structure in governance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand building with a big 'Y' in front, representing a public office. The top of the character 衙 looks like a roof, symbolizing a place of authority, while the bottom part, resembling a structure, signifies the foundation of governance.

Meanings of 衙

yá(Ya2)
1public office; official residence
2yamen 衙門|衙门
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 衙

衙Simplified
13Strokes
行Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 衙

JasonAmy

Podcast: 衙

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 衙

Usage Notes

When using 衙, it is important to note that it is primarily used in historical contexts or formal discussions about government. Avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocation includes 衙门 (yá mén), meaning 'government office'.

HSK Study Tips

Although 衙 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be useful for learners interested in historical or cultural topics. Students should focus on understanding its usage in conjunction with related terms like 衙门 and other government-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 衙 with similar-sounding characters like 雅 (yǎ), which means 'elegant'. A common mistake is saying '雅门' instead of '衙门' for 'government office'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 衙

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 衙 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 衙

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

Phonosemantic compound. 行 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

go

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 衙

Phonosemantic compound. 行 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half行 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half吾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygo
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 衙? 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 衙?

Decomposition of 衙

IDS Structure⿻行吾
衙Full Character
=
行hang2
outer
吾Wu2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 衙?

How to say public office; official residence in Chinese

“public office; official residence” in Chinese is衙yá

The character 衙 (yá) refers to a public office or an official residence, particularly in historical contexts relating to local government administration in China. It is often associated with yamen (衙门), which were the offices of local officials during imperial times. This term carries a sense of authority and governance.

When to use 衙

When using 衙, it is important to note that it is primarily used in historical contexts or formal discussions about government. Avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocation includes 衙门 (yá mén), meaning 'government office'.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 衙 with similar-sounding characters like 雅 (yǎ), which means 'elegant'. A common mistake is saying '雅门' instead of '衙门' for 'government office'.

Write 衙

衙

Practice writing 衙 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 衙

Words Containing This Character5
衙门yamen衙門
衙yáoffice
衙役bailiff of feudal yamen
衙内child of an official衙內
衙署yamen
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 衙门 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 衙

In modern Chinese, 衙 is mostly used in historical or literary contexts, and you may encounter it in discussions about traditional governance.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 衙?

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.