Chinese Character: 哈
1. Character Basics
Radical: 口/kǒu (mouth)
Stroke Count: 9 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hā (First tone), Hǎ (Third tone), Hà (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: (onomatopoeia) Ha; laugh; chuckle
Extended Meaning: Used as an interjection; sound of laughter; breathe out
Additional Meaning: Used in transliteration of foreign words; term of endearment
4. Common Words
- 哈哈 (hāhā) - Ha ha (laughter)
Example: 他笑得哈哈直响。 (Tā xiào de hāhā zhí xiǎng.) - He laughed loudly.
- 哈欠 (hāqian) - Yawn
Example: 他打了一个哈欠。 (Tā dǎle yīgè hāqian.) - He yawned.
- 哈气 (hāqì) - Breathe out (warm air)
Example: 他对着窗户哈气。 (Tā duìzhe chuānghu hāqì.) - He breathed on the window.
- 哈喽 (hālóu) - Hello (greeting)
Example: 哈喽，你好！(Hālóu, nǐ hǎo!) - Hello!
- 哈达 (hādá) - Hada (Tibetan ceremonial scarf)
Example: 他献上了一条哈达。 (Tā xiànshàngle yītiáo hādá.) - He presented a hada.
5. Grammar & Usage
As an onomatopoeia: Represents the sound of laughter or breathing.
- Structure: 哈 + 哈 (repeated) - To represent laughter (e.g., 哈哈笑 (hāhā xiào) - to laugh heartily)
As an interjection: Used to express various emotions or to get attention.
- 哈! 我明白了。(Hā! Wǒ míngbaile.) - Oh! I understand.
- 哈，你来了。(Hā, nǐ láile.) - Oh, you're here.
As a verb: To breathe out warm air.
- Structure: 哈 + Object (e.g., 哈气 (hāqì) - to breathe out warm air)
6. Cultural Background
The character 哈 is an interesting example of how Chinese incorporates onomatopoeic sounds into its writing system. Originally representing the sound of laughter, it has evolved to have multiple uses in modern Chinese.
In Chinese culture, laughter is highly valued as a way to build rapport and ease tension. The sound "哈哈" (hāhā) is one of the most common ways to represent laughter in written Chinese, similar to "haha" in English.
The character 哈 is also frequently used in transliterating foreign words, especially in modern slang and popular culture. For example, 哈利波特 (Hālì Bōtè) is the Chinese transliteration of "Harry Potter".
In some contexts, 哈 can be used as a term of endearment or a casual way to address someone, showing its versatility in different social situations.
7. Example Sentence
Sentence 1: 听到这个笑话，大家都哈哈笑了起来。(Tīng dào zhège xiàohua, dàjiā dōu hāhā xiàole qǐlai.) - When they heard this joke, everyone started laughing.
Sentence 2: 外面太冷了，我哈了一口气暖暖手。(Wàimiàn tài lěngle, wǒ hāle yī kǒuqì nuǎnnuǎn shǒu.) - It's too cold outside, I breathed on my hands to warm them.
Sentence 3: 哈，原来是你啊！(Hā, yuánlái shì nǐ a!) - Oh, so it's you!
8. Memory Tips
1. Sound association: The character 哈 sounds like the laughter "ha", which is its primary meaning. Remembering the sound can help you remember the character.
2. Radical memory: The radical 口 (mouth) is a clue that this character is related to sounds made with the mouth, like laughter or breathing.
3. Visual breakdown: The character consists of 口 (mouth) on the left and 合 (close) on the right. Imagine closing your mouth to make the "ha" sound.
4. Word association: Practice saying and writing words that include 哈, like 哈哈 (hāhā) or 哈喽 (hālóu), to reinforce your memory.
5. Stroke order: Practice writing the character in the correct stroke order: vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, right-falling.