Learn a Chinese Character - 哗 (Huā/Huá - Noise; clamor; commotion; to shout; to make noise; to create a disturbance; to curry favor by claptrap; onomatopoeic sound of water flowing or noise)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 口 (kǒu) - Mouth radical

Stroke Count: 9 strokes

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Huā (First tone) or Huá (Second tone) - depending on usage

3. Meaning

Basic Meaning: Noise; clamor; commotion

Extended Meanings:

To shout; to make noise
To create a disturbance
To哗众取宠 (to curry favor by claptrap)
Onomatopoeic sound of water flowing or noise

Additional Notes: Usually describes loud, chaotic noise or commotion. The pronunciation changes depending on context.

4. Common Words

喧哗 (xuānhuá) - Noise; hubbub
公共场所请勿喧哗。(Please don't make noise in public places.)
哗然 (huárán) - In an uproar; commotion
听到这个消息，人群一片哗然。(Upon hearing this news, the crowd erupted in an uproar.)
哗变 (huábiàn) - Mutiny
军队发生了哗变。(There was a mutiny in the army.)
哗哗 (huāhuā) - Sound of flowing water
河水哗哗地流着。(The river flows with a rushing sound.)
哗众取宠 (huázhòng-qǔchǒng) - To curry favor by claptrap
他总是哗众取宠，不踏实工作。(He always tries to curry favor by claptrap instead of working steadily.)

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech: Noun; verb; onomatopoeia; adjective

Common Usage:

As a noun: referring to noise or commotion
As a verb: meaning "to make noise" or "to cause a commotion"
As an onomatopoeia: describing the sound of flowing water or other noises
As an adjective: describing something as noisy or clamorous

Common Structures:

喧哗声 (xuānhuá shēng) - Sound of noise
哗然大笑 (huárán dàxiào) - Burst into laughter
哗然大怒 (huárán dà nù) - Fly into a rage
哗哗作响 (huāhuā zuò xiǎng) - Make a rushing sound

Usage Notes: Often used in negative contexts to describe excessive or disruptive noise. The tone changes between first and second depending on the specific word.

6. Cultural Background

Attitudes Toward Noise: Traditional Chinese culture values harmony and quiet, so excessive noise is often seen as disruptive to social order and personal tranquility.

Literary Usage: Commonly used in classical and modern Chinese literature to describe chaotic scenes, public reactions, or natural phenomena like flowing water.

Social Context: In contemporary China, there are often regulations about noise control in public places, reflecting the cultural value placed on maintaining peaceful environments.

Figurative Usage: Beyond literal noise, "哗" is also used metaphorically to describe situations where people make a lot of fuss or commotion about something.

7. Example Sentence

1. 图书馆里很安静，请勿喧哗。

(The library is very quiet, please don't make noise.)

2. 这个决定引起了公众的哗然。

(This decision caused an uproar among the public.)

3. 雨下得很大，雨水哗哗地流进排水沟。

(It's raining heavily, and the rainwater is rushing into the drain.)

8. Memory Tips

Structure Memory: The character is composed of 口 (mouth) and 华 (splendid), suggesting loud or splendid sound coming from the mouth.
Sound Association: The pronunciation "huā" or "huá" resembles the sound of rushing water or commotion, which can help with memorization.
Visual Memory: Imagine the character as a person making loud noise with their mouth (口), which matches the meaning of noise or clamor.
Vocabulary Grouping: Group words by their usage - words describing noise (喧哗, 哗然), onomatopoeic words (哗哗), and idioms (哗众取宠).
Contextual Learning: Practice using the character in sentences describing different types of sounds or commotion to better remember its meaning and usage.