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丫 (yā) — (bound form) forked; branching (e.g. 树丫, 枝丫); (bound form) girl; maidservant (e.g. 丫头, 丫鬟)

Definition

丫 is a bound form never used alone — it only appears inside compounds like 丫头 ('girl', a colloquial or affectionate term) and 枝丫 ('branch fork'). The 'girl' sense is the everyday one learners will meet; 丫鬟 specifically means a historical maidservant.

bound form
forkedbranching (e.g. 树丫, 枝丫)girlmaidservant (e.g. 丫头, 丫鬟)

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge yā tou zhēn kě ài.
    This girl is really cute.
  • 丫鬟。
    Gǔ dài yǒu qián rén jiā dōu yǒu yā huan.
    In ancient times, wealthy families all had maidservants.
  • 丫。
    Xiǎo niǎo zhàn zài zhī yā shàng chàng gē.
    The little bird stood on a branch fork and sang.

Origin

Pictograph
六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíng

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 丫 comes from a fork in a branch or path.

Appears in
People (General)

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