DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

欸

Mandarin · pinyin āi#

(indicating response)
(sadly sighing)
also pr. èi

Mandarin · pinyin ǎi#

(Tw) (literary) to rebuke loudly
(Tw) (literary) to sigh
used in 欸乃 ǎi nǎi

Mandarin · pinyin ēi#

hey (used to draw attention)

Mandarin · pinyin éi#

eh; huh (used to express surprise)

Mandarin · pinyin ěi#

hmm (used to express disapproval)

Mandarin · pinyin èi#

yes (used to express agreement)

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Characters in this entry

欸: ǎi · sigh; an exclamatory sound

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · ai1

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Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

1character link16same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

aai2 · ai2 · e6 · ei3 · ei6 · oi1 · oi2

Cantonese word readings for 欸. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

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

character

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

character

An interjection calling attention.

character

An interjection expressing surprise.

character

An interjection expressing disapproval.

character

An interjection expressing agreement or promise.

character

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

character

(Hakka) alternative form of 了

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack