Chinese word

啊

Pronunciation

Pinyina

Meaning

  • particleokay

Example

别生气啊。bié shēng qì a

Don't be angry, okay.

Illustration for 啊 (okay)

More examples

那没关系啊，不要紧。nà méi guān xì a bú yào jǐn

Then it's okay, no problem.

Core concept

A small spoken signal attached to an utterance to invite a response or highlight its meaning.

Common phrases

  • 是啊shì a

    That's right

  • 没关系啊méi guān xì a

    It's okay

Similar words

吗ma: Turns a sentence into a question that expects a yes-or-no answer.
呢ne: Keeps a topic going or adds a light follow-up that invites a response.
吧ba: Makes a suggestion or opinion sound less firm and more tentative.
呀ya: Adds a brief note of surprise or strong feeling to the end of a sentence.

Definition in Chinese

作语气词，置于词后或句末以表示追问、呼唤或加强语气，有时用作疑问或加强肯定的语尾。zuò yǔ qì cí zhì yú cí hòu huò jù mò yǐ biǎo shì zhuī wèn hū huàn huò jiā qiáng yǔ qì yǒu shí yòng zuò yí wèn huò jiā qiáng kěn dìng de yú wěi

Word origin

啊 (a, "ah") began as a short exclamatory sound and later became a sentence-ending particle, with 口 (kǒu, "mouth") marking its connection with speech.

Usage tips

  • The written form stays the same while the melody changes: a rising ending can invite a response, while a firm ending can add emphasis to a statement.

Other meanings

  • ahinterjection
  • huhinterjection

Related words

  • 啊呀a yaoh myinterjection

Word lists with this word