哇 (wā) — exclamation of surprise or delight (wow); sound of a child crying; sound of retching or vomiting
Definition
哇 (wā) is the everyday 'wow!' of surprise or delight, but it is also the natural written sound a crying child or vomiting person makes. Unlike 嘿 (hēi), which only expresses surprise/admiration, 哇 doubles as onomatopoeia for unpleasant sounds.
onomatopoeia
exclamation of surprise or delight (wow)sound of a child cryingsound of retching or vomiting
Examples
- 哇，！wā, Zhè ge lǐ wù tài ràng rén jīng xǐ le!Wow, this gift is such a pleasant surprise!
- 哇。Hái zi wā dì kū le qǐ lái.The child started crying with a 'wa' sound.
- 哇。Tā wā dì bǎ gāng chī de dōng xī quán tǔ le.He made a retching sound and threw up everything he just ate.
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.
哇 pairs 口 (mouth) with 圭 to show its sound. The 圭 part originally drew a pair of ritual axes.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.