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Choosing Mnemonics

Pick the mnemonic story that sticks best for you by clicking its ☆ — there's no wrong choice, and you'll be able to write your own soon. Then press Continue.

āi = Ø + ai1
interjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!) / to sigh
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ài = Ø + ai4
alas / oh dear
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How to pronounce 唉

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= Ø initial

“Ø” (nothing or null) is for Albert Einstein.

By Matthias • updated about 2 months ago
+ ai1 final

In front of the airplane.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
= Ø initial

“Ø” (nothing or null) is for Albert Einstein.

By Matthias • updated about 2 months ago
+ ai4 final

In the airplane’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

唉 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
kǒu = k + ou3
mouth / classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc) / classifier for bites or mouthfuls
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= y + Ø3
classical final particle, similar to modern 了[le5]
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Characters with 唉 as component

唉 is not used as a component in another character.
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Words with 唉

sighing voice, wailing breath (idiom) / to heave deep sighs / to sigh in despair
(onom.) sighing voice / crying sound
granny (dialect)

Sentences with 唉

唉 currently does not appear in any sentence.

Want to remember 唉 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

āi / ài

2 translations

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