欸

See also: 唉

欸	U+6B38, 欸 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B38

← 欷
[U+6B37]

CJK Unified Ideographs

欹 →
[U+6B39]

Translingual

Han character

欸 (Kangxi radical 76, 欠+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 戈大弓人 (IKNO), four-corner 2748₂, composition ⿰矣欠)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 568, character 7
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16090
Dae Jaweon: page 956, character 19
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2140, character 11
Unihan data for U+6B38

Chinese

simp. and trad.		欸
alternative forms		誒／诶 (ê/ei series) interjection 呃 Hokkien 吓 Hokkien

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (矣) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
唉	qʰlɯː, qɯː, qrɯː, qrɯːʔ
埃	*qlɯː
欸	qɯː, qʰrɯːs
娭	qɯː, qʰlɯ
挨	qlɯːʔ, qrɯː, *qrɯːʔ
騃	ŋrɯːʔ, sɢrɯʔ
俟	sɢrɯʔ, ɡlɯl
竢	*sɢrɯʔ
涘	*sɢrɯʔ
誒	*qʰlɯ
矣	*ɢlɯʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *qɯː, *qʰrɯːs): phonetic 矣 (OC *ɢlɯʔ) + semantic 欠 (“breath”).

Pronunciation 1

Mandarin
(Pinyin): āi (ai¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄞ
Cantonese (Jyutping): oi¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: āi
  - Zhuyin: ㄞ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ai
  - Wade–Giles: ai¹
  - Yale: āi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ai
  - Palladius: ай (aj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: oi¹
  - Yale: ōi
  - Cantonese Pinyin: oi¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: oi¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɔːi̯⁵⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Middle Chinese: 'oj, 'ojX

Rime
Character	欸	欸
Reading #	1/3	2/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	咍 (41)	咍 (41)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	烏開切	於改切
Baxter	'oj	'ojX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʌi/	/ʔʌi^X/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔəi/	/ʔəi^X/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɒi/	/ʔɒi^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔəj/	/ʔəj^X/
Li Rong	/ʔᴀi/	/ʔᴀi^X/
Wang Li	/ɒi/	/ɒi^X/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔɑ̆i/	/ʔɑ̆i^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	āi	ǎi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	oi¹	oi²

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*qɯː/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	欸
Reading #	1/2
No.	14935
Phonetic component	矣
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	哀
Old Chinese	/*qɯː/

Definitions

欸

(historical dictionaries only) to scold loudly
alternative form of 唉 (“interjection of agreement or sigh”)

Pronunciation 2

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ǎi (ai³)

(Zhuyin): ㄞˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): aai² / ai² / oi²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ǎi
  - Zhuyin: ㄞˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ǎi
  - Wade–Giles: ai³
  - Yale: ǎi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ae
  - Palladius: ай (aj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀaɪ̯²¹⁴/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: aai² / ai² / oi²
  - Yale: áai / ái / ói
  - Cantonese Pinyin: aai² / ai² / oi²
  - Guangdong Romanization: ai² / ei² / oi²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /aːi̯³⁵/, /ɐi̯³⁵/, /ɔːi̯³⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

欸

only used in 欸乃 (ǎinǎi, “an onomatopoeia”)

Compounds

欸乃
欸乃曲

Pronunciation 3

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ê̄, ēi (ê¹, ei¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄝ, ㄟ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ê̄
  - Zhuyin: ㄝ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ê
  - Wade–Giles: eh¹
  - Yale: ē
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: è
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɛ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ēi
  - Zhuyin: ㄟ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ei
  - Wade–Giles: ei¹
  - Yale: ēi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ei
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀeɪ̯⁵⁵/

Definitions

欸

An interjection calling attention.
欸，我告訴你一個秘密。 [MSC, trad.]
欸，我告诉你一个秘密。 [MSC, simp.]
Ê̄, wǒ gàosu nǐ yī gè mìmì. [Pinyin]
Hey, let me tell you a secret.

Pronunciation 4

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ế, éi (ê², ei²)

(Zhuyin): ㄝˊ, ㄟˊ
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): --eh

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ế
  - Zhuyin: ㄝˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ế
  - Wade–Giles: eh²
  - Yale: é
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: èr
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɛ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: éi
  - Zhuyin: ㄟˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: éi
  - Wade–Giles: ei²
  - Yale: éi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: eir
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀeɪ̯³⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --eh
  - Tâi-lô: --eh

Definitions

欸

An interjection expressing surprise.
欸，他怎麼走了！ [MSC, trad.]
欸，他怎么走了！ [MSC, simp.]
Ế, tā zěnme zǒu le! [Pinyin]
Why, he's gone!

Pronunciation 5

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ê̌, ěi (ê³, ei³)

(Zhuyin): ㄝˇ, ㄟˇ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ê̌
  - Zhuyin: ㄝˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ê̌
  - Wade–Giles: eh³
  - Yale: ě
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: èè
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɛ²¹⁴/
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ěi
  - Zhuyin: ㄟˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ěi
  - Wade–Giles: ei³
  - Yale: ěi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: eei
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀeɪ̯²¹⁴/

Definitions

欸

An interjection expressing disapproval.
欸，話可不能這麼說！ [MSC, trad.]
欸，话可不能这么说！ [MSC, simp.]
Ê̌, huà kě bùnéng zhème shuō! [Pinyin]
Huh, you can't say that!

Pronunciation 6

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ề, èi (ê⁴, ei⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄝˋ, ㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ei⁶ / e⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ề
  - Zhuyin: ㄝˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ề
  - Wade–Giles: eh⁴
  - Yale: è
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: èh
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɛ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: èi
  - Zhuyin: ㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: èi
  - Wade–Giles: ei⁴
  - Yale: èi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ey
  - Palladius: эй (ej)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀeɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: ei⁶ / e⁶
  - Yale: eih / eh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ei⁶ / e⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: éi⁶ / é⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ei̯²²/, /ɛː²²/

Definitions

欸

An interjection expressing agreement or promise.
欸，我明天準時來！ [MSC, trad.]
欸，我明天准时来！ [MSC, simp.]
Ề, wǒ míngtiān zhǔnshí lái! [Pinyin]
All right, I'll arrive on time tomorrow!

Pronunciation 7

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiè (xie⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄝˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiè
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄝˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: siè
  - Wade–Giles: hsieh⁴
  - Yale: syè
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shieh
  - Palladius: се (se)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹/

Middle Chinese: xeajH

Rime
Character	欸
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	皆 (33)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	許介切
Baxter	xeajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/hˠɛi^H/
Pan Wuyun	/hᵚæi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/xɐi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/həɨj^H/
Li Rong	/xɛi^H/
Wang Li	/xɐi^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/xăi^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	haai³

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*qʰrɯːs/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	欸
Reading #	2/2
No.	14943
Phonetic component	矣
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	譮
Old Chinese	/*qʰrɯːs/
Notes	怒聲同譮

Definitions

欸

(historical dictionaries only) alternative form of 譮 (xiè, “angry sound”)

Pronunciation 8

Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): ê²

Hakka
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: ê²
  - Sinological IPA: /e¹¹/

Definitions

欸

(Hakka) alternative form of 了

References

“欸”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
“欸”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Kanji

欸

(Hyōgai kanji)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

Go-on: あい (ai)
Kan-on: あい (ai)
On: かい (kai)
Kun: なげく (nageku)

Korean

Hanja

欸 (eum 애 (ae))

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

欸: Hán Nôm readings: ái

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

Nom Foundation