哼哼 (hēng hēng) — to groan, snort, hum, or croon (vocal sounds) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Onomatopoeic verb for low vocal sounds — groaning in pain, snorting like an animal, or humming a tune. Often reduplicated and pairs with 着 in ongoing sounds.

verb

to groansnorthumor croon (vocal sounds)

Examples

哼哼。
Tā téng dé zài chuáng shàng zhí hēng hēng.
He was groaning in pain on the bed.
哼哼。
Tā yì biān zuò fàn yì biān hēng hēng zhe xiǎo qǔ.
She hummed a tune while cooking.
哼哼。
Nà zhī zhū zài ní lǐ hēng hēng zhe.
That pig was snorting in the mud.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

“哼” is a hum or snort sound, and repeating it gives the idea of making such sounds again and again.

Characters in this word

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

口亨哼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

亨

亨hēng哼hēng

Same sound today

哼 pairs 口 (mouth) with 亨, which gives its sound hēng.

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

口亨哼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

亨

亨hēng哼hēng

Same sound today

哼 pairs 口 (mouth) with 亨, which gives its sound hēng.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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