Chinese word

哎

Pronunciation

Pinyināi

Meaning

  • interjectionhey

Example

哎，你听我说。āi nǐ tīng wǒ shuō

Hey, listen to me.

Illustration for 哎 (hey)

More examples

哎呀，别着急。āi yā bié zháo jí

Hey, don't be in a hurry.

Core concept

A brief voice signal that draws attention or marks an immediate reaction.

Common phrases

  • 哎呀āi yā

    hey

Similar words

哎呀āi yā: A brief cry of surprise or excitement.
哦ó: A brief response showing sudden understanding or recognition.
喂wèi: A brief call for someone's attention, especially when starting a phone call.
唉āi: A brief sigh expressing regret or disappointment.

Definition in Chinese

用于口语中表示呼唤、惊讶或引起注意的感叹词，发音短促，常见于非正式对话中yòng yú kóu yǔ zhōng biǎo shì hū huàn jīng yà huò yín qǐ zhù yì de gǎn tàn cí fā yīn duǎn cù cháng jiàn yú fēi zhèng shì duì huà zhōng

Word origin

哎 (āi, "hey/oh") is written as 口 (kǒu, "mouth") + 艾 (ài, "mugwort"), with 口 marking a spoken sound and 艾 supplying the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • For English speakers, the same syllable can sound friendly, surprised, or weary because intonation carries much of its meaning in quick conversation.

Other meanings

  • ohinterjection
  • ahinterjection
  • sighinterjection

Word lists with this word