哇哇 (wā wā) — (onomatopoeia) sound of crying or wailing; (onomatopoeia, figurative) sweet talk, flattery, blandishments

Definition

An onomatopoeia for a loud, sustained wailing or crying sound (usually a child or baby). In fixed expressions like 哇哇好听 it can also mean 'sweet-talk' or flattering words.

onomatopoeia
sound of crying or wailing(onomatopoeia, figurative) sweet talkflatteryblandishments

Examples

  • 哇哇。
    Hái zi wā wā de kū le yì zhěng yè.
    The child cried all night with a wailing sound.
  • 哇哇，。
    Tā zhī huì shuō yì xiē wā wā hǎo tīng de, shí jì shén me shì dōu bú zuò.
    He only knows how to say some sweet nothings, but doesn't actually do anything.
  • 哇哇。
    Yuǎn yuǎn chuán lái yīng ér de wā wā kū shēng.
    From far away came the crying sound of a baby.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
叠音diéyīnRepeated syllable

One syllable written twice as a single unit of meaning; neither half stands alone.

哇wā
哇wā

哇哇 spells a crying or wailing sound; the individual 哇 characters carry no separate meaning.

Sound-only characters

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī哇wa
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哇 pairs 口 (mouth) with 圭 to show its sound. The 圭 part originally drew a pair of ritual axes.

Open 哇 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī哇wa
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哇 pairs 口 (mouth) with 圭 to show its sound. The 圭 part originally drew a pair of ritual axes.

Open 哇 →

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