诶 (éi) — (interjection) hey! (to call attention or express surprise)
Definition
诶 (éi) is a casual interjection used to call attention or react to something surprising. It is more colloquial than 啊 or 哦, which express mild acknowledgment rather than calling out.
interjection
hey! (to call attention or express surprise)
Examples
- 诶，！éi, Nǐ děng yí xià!Hey, wait a moment!
- 诶，！éi, Yuán lái shì zhè yàng a!Oh, so that's how it is!
- 诶，？éi, Nǐ zěn me lái le?Hey, how come you're here?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 誒; 诶 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 誒 pairs 言 (speech) with 矣 as a sound part; this note is about 誒, not the simplified 诶.
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