Chinese word

呀

Pronunciation

Pinyinya

Meaning

  • particlehuh

Example

你去哪儿呀？nǐ qù nǎr ya

Where are you going, huh?

Illustration for 呀 (huh)

More examples

别着急呀，慢慢来就行。bié zháo jí ya màn màn lái jiù xíng

Don't worry; take it slow.

Core concept

A light conversational signal at the sentence edge that can invite a response, soften force, or show sudden feeling.

Common phrases

  • 别着急呀bié zháo jí ya

    don't worry

  • 快点儿呀kuài diǎnr ya

    hurry up

  • 小心点呀xiǎo xīn diǎn ya

    be careful

Similar words

吗ma: Turns a statement into a question that expects a yes-or-no answer.
呢ne: Asks about someone's situation or what they are doing.
吧ba: Softens a suggestion or proposal.
啊a: Shows surprise or strong feeling at the end of a sentence.

Definition in Chinese

用于口语句末，表示轻微的疑问、呼唤或感叹，常用以拉近语气或缓和命令性言辞。yòng yú kóu yǔ jù mò biǎo shì qīng wēi de yí wèn hū huàn huò gǎn tàn cháng yòng yǐ lā jìn yǔ qì huò huǎn hé mìng lìng xìng yán cí

Word origin

呀 (ya, "sentence-final particle") combines 口 (kǒu, "mouth") with 牙 (yá, "tooth"), using the first for its speech-related sense and the second mainly to suggest the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • English often uses separate words or changes its intonation for these effects, whereas Chinese can use this single ending across questions, calls, and exclamations.

Other meanings

  • ohparticle
  • heyinterjection

Word lists with this word