How to Write 欸 (āi) — Meaning “An interjection (hey/oh)”

Imagine someone yawning (欠) while opening their mouth (口) and saying 'āi' — like a tired 'hey' sound. This links the shape of the character to the meaning of an interjection made with a yawn.

Start by writing the left part 口 as a small square, then write the right part 欠. In 欠, the first stroke is a left-falling stroke (丿), and the second stroke is a horizontal hook (⺄). Keep the 口 small and balanced high, so the whole character looks like a square with a taller right side.

Unlike 欸 which has 口 (mouth) on the left, 欮 (jué) has 屰 (rebel) on the left and is very rare, while 欲 (yù) has 谷 (valley) on the left. The meaning also differs: 欸 is an interjection, 欲 means 'desire' or 'want', so they are never interchangeable.

欸 is used in casual speech as an interjection to express surprise, acknowledgment, or to call someone, like 'Hey!' or 'Oh!'. It also appears in the literary word 欸乃 (āi nǎi), which describes the creaking sound of oars, often found in classical poetry.

Common words containing 欸 include: 欸 (āi) — An interjection (hey/oh); 欸乃 (āi nǎi) — The sound of oars creaking.