啊

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 啊. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 啊, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 啊 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 啊 you have here. The definition of the word 啊 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of啊, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
啊 U+554A, 啊
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-554A
← 啉
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 啋 →

Translingual

Stroke order
11 strokes

Han character

啊 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 口弓中口 (RNLR), four-corner 61020, composition ⿰口阿)

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 195, character 4
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3808
  • Dae Jaweon: page 416, character 5
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 634, character 18
  • Unihan data for U+554A

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) : semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 阿 (OC *qaːl).

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.
 啊

Pronunciation

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

啊

  1. Used by itself to express surprise. ah, oh, ha
    啊！我又贏了！ [MSC, trad.]
    啊！我又赢了！ [MSC, simp.]
    Ā! Wǒ yòu yíng le!
    Ha! I've won again!
  2. Used to express affirmation or exhortation.
    好孩子，乖，聽話，啊！別哭了，啊！ [MSC, trad.]
    好孩子，乖，听话，啊！别哭了，啊！ [MSC, simp.]
    Hǎo háizi, guāi, tīnghuà, ā! Bié kū le, ā!
    Good boy, be good, be obedient okay?! Don't cry okay?!
    我食飽咯啊 [Philippine Hokkien, trad.]
    我食饱咯啊 [Philippine Hokkien, simp.]
    Góa chia̍h-pá--lo͘--a [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
    I've eaten already, OK. / I'm full now, alright.

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.
 啊

Pronunciation

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

啊

  1. Used to indicate doubt or questioning. what?, huh?, eh
    啊？你說什麼？ [MSC, trad.]
    啊？你说什么？ [MSC, simp.]
    Á? Nǐ shuō shénme?
    Huh? What did you say?

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.
 啊

Pronunciation

Definitions

啊

  1. Used to indicate puzzled surprise. what? oh? huh?
    啊！真有這事兒？ [MSC, trad.]
    啊！真有这事儿？ [MSC, simp.]
    Ǎ! Zhēn yǒu zhè shìr?
    What? Is that really so?

Etymology 4

simp. and trad.
 啊

Pronunciation

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

啊

  1. Used to indicate agreement/approval. ah
    啊，好吧。  ―  À, hǎo ba.  ―  Well, OK.

Etymology 5

simp. and trad.
 啊

Pronunciation

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

啊

  1. Sentence-final particle expressing surprise.
    你不來啊？／你不来啊？  ―  Nǐ bù lái a?  ―  So you're not coming?
  2. Sentence-final particle expressing exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm.
    多好的天兒啊！／多好的天儿啊！  ―  Duō hǎo de tiānr a!  ―  What a fine day!
    謝謝啊／谢谢啊  ―  xièxiè a  ―  Thanks.
  3. Sentence-final particle softening the request.
    老王啊，這可不行啊！ [MSC, trad.]
    老王啊，这可不行啊！ [MSC, simp.]
    Lǎo Wáng a, zhè kě bùxíng a!
    Wang, this won't do!
  4. Used in enumerations, for confirmation (often untranslated).
    錢啊，書啊，表啊，我都丟了。 [MSC, trad.]
    钱啊，书啊，表啊，我都丢了。 [MSC, simp.]
    Qián a, shū a, biǎo a, wǒ dōu diū le.
    Money, books, watch, I lost everything.
  5. on and on, continuously

Usage notes

In Standard Mandarin, this toneless particle is found in complementary distribution with several other particles, governed by the nature of the preceding syllable. However, this distinction is not strictly reflected in writing, and 啊 tends to an all-encompassing particle. Thus it may carry the pronunciation of any of its variants below in actual speech:

  • -ng, ci, zi, si, chi, zhi, shi + → 啊 (a)
  • -a, -o, -e, -i, -ü + → 呀 (ya)
  • -u, -ao + → 哇 (wa)
  • -n + → 哪 (na)

Synonyms

  • (Cantonese) 呀

Compounds

Descendants

  • → English: ah (Singapore, Malaysia)

Etymology 6

simp. and trad.
 啊
alternative forms 阿

From 下 (ha) (Chiang, 2013).

Pronunciation

Definitions

啊

  1. (Hakka) Used between a verb and a complement to indicate that something has happened within a short time and/or is immediately followed by another event.

References

Japanese

Kanji

啊

(Hyōgai kanji)

  1. Exclamatory particle

Readings

  • Go-on: あ (a)
  • Kan-on: あ (a)
  • Kun: こえ (koe, 啊)←こゑ (kowe, 啊, historical)

Korean

Hanja

啊 • (a) (hangeul 아, revised a, McCune–Reischauer a)

  1. love

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

Han character

啊: Hán Việt readings: a[2][3]
啊: Nôm readings: a[4][1], à[4][1], ơ[2], ạ[1]

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Interjection

啊

  1. Nôm form of a (“Used in the beginning of a sentence to indicate questioning: ah, oh, ha”).
    啊困碎！ ― A khốn tôi ! ― Ha! I'm so unlucky!

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Trần (2004).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ^ Génibrel (1898).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nguyễn (2014).
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia