Chinese word

哑

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǎ

Meaning

  • adjectivehoarse

Example

感冒把我哑了两天。gǎn mào bǎ wǒ yǎ le liǎng tiān

A cold left me hoarse for two days.

Illustration for 哑 (hoarse)

More examples

电话那头他的声音有点哑，听不太清楚。diàn huà nà tóu tā de shēng yīn yóu diǎn yǎ tīng bú tài qīng chǔ

His voice on the other end of the phone was a little hoarse, so I couldn't hear him clearly.

Core concept

A voice that cannot come out clearly, either disappearing or becoming weak and rough.

Common phrases

  • 声音哑了shēng yīn yǎ le

    Voice becomes hoarse

  • 说话带着哑音shuō huà dài zhe yǎ yīn

    speak in a hoarse voice

Similar words

嘶哑sī yǎ: Describes a voice that sounds rough, raspy, and strained.

Definition in Chinese

不能发出声音或发声异常的形容词，既可指暂时失声，也可指声音变得沙哑或无力。bù néng fā chū shēng yīn huò fā shēng yì cháng de xíng róng cí jì kě zhǐ zàn shí shī shēng yě kě zhǐ shēng yīn biàn de shā yǎ huò wú lì

Word origin

哑 (yǎ, "hoarse or voiceless") combines 口 (kǒu, "mouth") with 亚 (yà, "second") as a phonetic component, linking the written form to impaired speech.

Usage tips

  • English often separates an absent voice from a rough voice, while this everyday adjective can cover both, so the surrounding situation shows which kind is meant.

Other meanings

  • loss of voicenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 哑声yǎ shēnghoarsenessnoun

Word lists with this word