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讶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
讶yàastoundedv, 6 strokes, radical 讠, rank #65858, Very Hard
讶yàamazed, surprised; to express surprisev, 6 strokes, radical 讠, rank #65858, Very Hard
yà(ya4)ya T4
  1. 1astounded
  2. 2amazed, surprised; to express surprise
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March 24, 2026

讶(訝)yà(ya4)

The character 讶 (yà) means to be astounded, amazed, or surprised. It is often used to express a reaction of shock or disbelief in response to unexpected events or information. This character is commonly found in contexts where someone's expectations are dramatically altered.

Strokes6Radical讠Frequency#65858DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

The character 讶 is often used in Chinese literature and media to depict characters who are shocked or surprised by events, reflecting the cultural appreciation for dramatic twists in storytelling.

Memory tip

Imagine a person gasping in amazement upon hearing surprising news. The left part of the character, 讠, represents speech or words, while the right part, 吖, can remind you of a shocked expression. Together, they convey the idea of being astounded by what one hears.

Meanings of 讶

yà(ya4)
1astounded
2amazed, surprised; to express surprise
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 讶 means.

About 讶

讶Simplified
訝Traditional
6Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#65535Frequency Rank

Podcast: 讶

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Podcast: 讶

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AI study notes for 讶

Quick Contrast

惊 (jīng) vs 诧 (chà) — use 讶 (yà) for reactions of surprise specifically linked to astonishment, while 惊 (jīng) can imply a broader sense of shock, and 诧 (chà) emphasizes disbelief or confusion.

Usage Notes

讶 is often used in more formal contexts when expressing surprise, such as in written communication or speeches. Be careful not to confuse it with other surprise-related words like 惊 (jīng) which denotes shock or fright. Pay attention to the tone: it is pronounced with a falling tone (yà).

HSK Study Tips

Although 讶 is not currently included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other HSK words that express emotions or reactions. Students should focus on recognizing it in context and understanding how it complements other expressions of surprise.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 讶 with 惊 (jīng), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我觉得这个很惊' instead of '我觉得这个很讶' is incorrect; the former implies shock rather than amazement.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 讶

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Etymology of 讶

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 牙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 訝.

Memory hint

speech

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

Origin

讶 = 讠 + 牙. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 讶

IDS Structure⿰讠牙
讶Full character
=
讠yan2
left
牙ya2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 讶?

How to say astounded in Chinese

“astounded” in Chinese is讶yà

The character 讶 (yà) means to be astounded, amazed, or surprised. It is often used to express a reaction of shock or disbelief in response to unexpected events or information. This character is commonly found in contexts where someone's expectations are dramatically altered.

When to use 讶

讶 is often used in more formal contexts when expressing surprise, such as in written communication or speeches. Be careful not to confuse it with other surprise-related words like 惊 (jīng) which denotes shock or fright. Pay attention to the tone: it is pronounced with a falling tone (yà).

讶 or something close to it

惊 (jīng) vs 诧 (chà) — use 讶 (yà) for reactions of surprise specifically linked to astonishment, while 惊 (jīng) can imply a broader sense of shock, and 诧 (chà) emphasizes disbelief or confusion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 讶 with 惊 (jīng), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我觉得这个很惊' instead of '我觉得这个很讶' is incorrect; the former implies shock rather than amazement.

Write 讶

讶

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

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Grammar patterns of 讶

讶 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. 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 4

Fill the gap

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

她在挑逗我,这让我感到既惊____又受宠若惊。

She was hitting on me and I was surprised and flattered.

Example sentences for 讶 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她在挑逗我,这让我感到既惊讶又受宠若惊。

tā zài tiāo dòu wǒ, zhè ràng wǒ gǎndào jì jīngyà yòu shòuchǒng-ruòjīng。

She was hitting on me and I was surprised and flattered.
2
他俩居然结婚了——这让他非常惊讶,因为他们实在是太不一样了。

tā liǎ jūrán jiéhūn le—— zhè ràng tā fēicháng jīngyà, yīnwèi tāmen shízài shì tài bù yíyàng le。

He was surprised they had married — they had seemed so different.
3
我真惊讶他们当初竟然有脸问。

wǒ zhēn jīngyà tāmen dāngchū jìngrán yǒu liǎn wèn。

I'm amazed they had the cheek to ask in the first place.
4
斯科比惊讶地问道:“你是说他会投她的反对票吗?”

Sī kē bǐ jīngyà dì wèn dào:“ nǐ shì shuō tā huì tóu tā de fǎnduì piào ma?”

"You mean he's going to vote against her?" Scobie asked in surprise.
5
如果他要离开伯明翰,说真的,我会很惊讶。

rúguǒ tā yào líkāi bà míng hàn, shuō zhēnde, wǒ huì hěn jīngyà。

I would be surprised, actually, if he left Birmingham.
6
位于伦敦的英国外交部对这些说法表示惊讶.

wèiyú lún dūn de Yīng guówài jiāo bù duì zhèxiē shuōfǎ biǎoshì jīngyà.

The Foreign Office in London has expressed surprise at these allegations.
7
“我不同意,”她说道,对自己的声音如此响亮有力而感到惊讶。

“ wǒ bùtóng yì,” tā shuōdào, duì zìjǐ de shēngyīn rúcǐ xiǎngliàng yǒulì ér gǎndào jīngyà。

"I don'tagree," she said, surprised at the strength in her own voice.
8
每次我都很惊讶,尼尔怎么能讲出这么索然无味的东西。

měi cì wǒ dōu hěn jīngyà, ní ěr zěnme néng jiǎng chū zhème Suǒ rán wú wèi de dōngxi。

Neil's ability to utter banalities never ceased to amaze me.
9
我的声音听起来心平气和、不露一丝感情,这让我自己颇感惊讶。

wǒ de shēngyīn tīng qǐlái xīn píng qì hé、 bù lòu yī sī gǎnqíng, zhè ràng wǒ zìjǐ Pō gǎn jīngyà。

My voice surprised me; it was even and emotionless.
10
得知她仍然在写自己的小说,我感到很惊讶。

dézhī tā réngrán zài xiě zìjǐ de xiǎoshuō, wǒ gǎndào hěn jīngyà。

I was amazed to learn she was still writing her stories.

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Word Family of 讶

Words containing this character3
惊讶jīngyàamazed驚訝
讶yàastounded訝
讶异yàyìto be surprised訝異
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 讶

What does 惊讶 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 讶

You can say '我对这个消息感到很讶' (Wǒ duì zhège xiāoxī gǎndào hěn yà), meaning 'I am very surprised by this news.'

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