埃 (āi) — (bound form) dust; fine earth
Definition
埃 (āi) is a bound form meaning 'dust' — it never stands alone, only appearing in set compounds like 尘埃 (chén'āi). Think of it as the written half of 'dust'; everyday speech uses 灰尘 instead.
bound form
dustfine earth
Easily confused
- 唉àilook-alike(interjection) expresses sigh, regret, disappointment, or resignation
- 哎āisound-alike(interjection) hey! (used to call someone's attention)
- 挨áilook-aliketo suffer, to endure (e.g., a beating, scolding, hardship)
- 捱āisound-aliketo endure, to suffer through (hardship, pain, hunger)
- 诶éilook-alike(interjection) hey! (to call attention or express surprise)
- 哀āisound-alike(bound form) sorrowful, lamenting, tragic (used in compound words)
Examples
- ，。Dǎ sǎo fáng jiān shí, wǒ qīng lǐ le hěn duō chén āi.When cleaning the room, I cleaned up a lot of dust.
- 。Kē xué jiā tōng guò yán jiū gǔ tǎ zhōng de chén āi liǎo jiě lì shǐ.Scientists study dust in ancient towers to understand history.
- ，。Fēng chuī guò hòu, zhuō miàn shàng yòu luò le yī céng báo báo de chén āi.After the wind blew, a thin layer of dust fell on the table.
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.
The 土 side of 埃 relates to earth or soil, while 矣 gives the sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.