How to Write 呃 (e/è) — Meaning “uh; um; (medical) hiccup”

Picture someone opening their mouth (口) to say 'uh' while a small hiccup symbol (like the 卩 part) pops out. Imagine the left side is the mouth, and the right side looks like a bent hiccup motion. This helps you connect the shape to the meaning of 'uh' or 'hiccup'.

Write the left radical 口 first as three strokes (vertical, horizontal, closing horizontal). Then the right part 卩 with two strokes: a horizontal fold and a vertical hook. Keep the mouth narrow and slightly higher than the right side, which extends downward. A common mistake is making the mouth too wide or the right hook too short.

呃 (è) has the mouth radical with a 卩 right side, used for the sound 'uh' or medical hiccups. In contrast, 卟 (bǔ) is rare and means 'divination' with a different right side (卜). 古 (gǔ) means 'ancient' and combines 十 (ten) with 口 (mouth), not related to sounds. Visually, 呃 has a hooked right part, while 古 has a straight cross.

呃 is commonly used as an interjection for hesitation, like 'uh' or 'um' in speech, often in informal conversation. It also appears in medical terms like 呃逆 (è nì, hiccup) or 打呃 (dǎ e, to hiccup). In writing, you might see it in dialogue to show a pause, but it is not part of the HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 呃 include: 呃逆 (è nì) — hiccup; 呃 (è) — uh; um; (medical) hiccup; 打呃 (dǎ e) — to hiccup.