HanziGuru.唉 · āi
唉
āi[ai1]Tone 1

sigh, interjection of agreement

HSK 7
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · sigh, interjection of agreement

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (mouth radical 口) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right side (fire 火 or close phonetic) takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep both halves vertically balanced.
1. Meaning

Alas, an expression of sadness, regret, or a sigh; also used as an interjection of agreement or response (yes, right here / that's me).

to sighoh wellyes (acknowledging someone calling)
interjection / verbColloquial#emotions#speech acts#sound symbolism
Sample Usage
  • 唉，怎么又下雨了？
    āi, zěnme yòu xià yǔ le?
    Alas, why is it raining again?
  • “小张！”“唉，来了！”
    "Xiǎo Zhāng!" "ài, lái le!"
    "Xiao Zhang!" "Yes, coming!"
2. Sound
/[aɪ̯⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
唉
āiai1
Vowel start++
¯(55)
=āi
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
ai
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
Vowel start
Type: Vowel start
Sounds like: Vowel start
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Starts directly on the vowel sound without consonant obstruction.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Open vocal tract directly into the target vowel shape.
Final Rhyme
ai
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ai rhymes with 'eye'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'eye'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high at the top of your vocal range, like a sustained musical note or a robot saying 'beep' on a high pitch.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the high level tone (āi) with the dipping tone (ǎi) or falling tone (ài), which completely change the emotional nuance from a sigh of agreement to grief or anger.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A flat, high hand gesture held horizontally in the air, matching a steady high-pitched note.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (mouth radical 口) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right side (fire 火 or close phonetic) takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep both halves vertically balanced.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, speaking, breathing, voice)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (Indicates sound, sighing, or vocal utterance.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 矣 (original sound: yi / ai)

The mouth radical (口) on the left pairs with the phonetic component 矣 on the right to represent the sound made when opening the mouth to let out a heavy sigh or shout of acknowledgment.

  • 口 Mouth / voice indicator
  • 矣 Phonetic clue providing the 'ai' sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the mouth symbol (口) indicating breath or speech, and 矣 (yǐ) which originally denoted a final particle of completion or sighing. Together they capture the breathy sound of resignation or agreement.

Semantic Evolution: Originally depicted the sound of a deep breath or groan of weariness, later extended to conversational acknowledgments and responses like 'yes'.

  • Interjections in Chinese often retain their archaic sound-symbolic nature across thousands of years.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: アイ / Kun: ああ
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You open your **MOUTH** (口) wide to let out a loud **'AI'**! sigh when you realize you have 10 strokes of homework to finish.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
矣
yǐclassical final particle, similar to modern 了Phonetic Core (声旁)
挨
āiin order; close to+ 扌 (hand)
埃
āiabbr. for Egypt 埃及[Ai1 ji2] or Ethiopia 埃塞俄比亞|埃塞俄比亚[Ai1 sai4 e2 bi3 ya4]; dust+ 土 (earth)
娭
āisee 娭姐[ai1 jie3], father's mother; granny (dialect)+ 女 (woman)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
挨(ái)
挨 uses the hand radical (扌), referring to physical endurance or leaning, whereas 唉 uses the mouth radical (口) for sighs and speech.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
[___]！这道题实在是太难了。
Clue: āi
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the four tones of 'ai' (āi, ái, ǎi, ài), which turns a sympathetic sigh into completely different words like 'to suffer' or 'to love'.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 唉 in text as an interjection, what emotion or action does it typically convey?
Production: How do you write the character for a sigh or an exclamation of agreement (āi) using the mouth radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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