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唉

2 readings · tap one to hear it

alas; oh dear

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Old HSK
Level 5
Strokes
10
Radical
口 +7
Structure
Left–right 左右
Traditional
唉
Common rank
#4,184
Unicode
U+5509

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

How 唉 is formed

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

口 meaning “mouth” + 矣 sound ( yǐ )

Components 口 矣

How to remember it

sigh-ay-ay · Heisig RSH #2258

口 mouth + crossbow

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

Words with 唉

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

WordPinyinMeaning
唉声叹气 āi shēng tàn qì sighing voice, wailing breath (idiom); to heave deep sighs; to sigh in despair
唉姐 āi jiě granny (dialect)
唉唉 āi āi (onom.) sighing voice; crying sound

Sound family

Characters sharing the sound component 矣 — compare how they read.

CharacterPinyinMeaning
矣 sound part yǐ particle of completed action
埃 āi fine dust; dirt; Angstrom
挨 āi close by, near, next to, towards, against; to lean on; to wait
娭 āi grandmother, father's mother; a term of respect