啧 (zé) — click of the tongue (expressing disapproval, annoyance, or admiration)
Definition
An onomatopoeia for a tongue-click sound used to express emotion — typically disapproval or annoyance (e.g. 别啧了, 'stop clicking your tongue'), or sometimes admiration. It is not a verb; it stands alone or with 了.
onomatopoeia
click of the tongue (expressing disapproval, annoyance, or admiration)
Easily confused
- 渍zìlook-aliketo soak; to steep
- 则zésound-alike(conjunction) but; then (indicating contrast or consequence)
- 绩jīlook-alikebound morpheme meaning achievement, accomplishment (in compounds like 成绩, 业绩)
- 则zésound-alike(classifier) for news items, diary entries, stories, and other written records
- 喷pēnlook-aliketo spray, to spout, to spurt
- 泽zésound-alike(bound form) marsh, swamp; body of water
Examples
- ，啧，。Tā tīng le zhè huà, zhǐ shì zé le yī shēng, méi shuō huà.He just clicked his tongue upon hearing this and didn't say anything.
- ，啧。Kàn dào tā de xīn yī fu, dà jiā dōu zé le yī shēng biǎo shì chēng zàn.Seeing her new clothes, everyone clicked their tongues in admiration.
- 啧，。Bié zé le, wǒ zhī dào cuò le.Stop clicking your tongue, I know I was wrong.
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 嘖; 啧 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
責
責zé嘖zé
Same sound today
The traditional form 嘖 has 口 (mouth) on the left and 責 on the right, with 責 giving the sound; the simplified 啧 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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