How to Write 唢 (suǒ) — Meaning “Suona (musical instrument)”

Imagine a suona player blowing into the instrument with their mouth (口) while pulling a string (like a rope 索) to control the sound. The right part 索 looks like a string tied to the mouth, reminding you of this loud Chinese instrument.

Write the left radical 口 first as three strokes (vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal). Then write the right part 索: start with the top 十 (two strokes), then the middle 糸 (three strokes: slanted fold, dot, small dot). Keep the left 口 small and centered, and the right part balanced—do not make the 口 too big.

唢 (suǒ) specifically means the suona instrument, while 呢 (ne) is a sentence-final particle or interrogative. 呣 (m̄ or m̀) is an interjection like 'hmm'. Visually, 唢 has 索 on the right, 呢 has 尼, and 呣 has 母—each has a completely different right component.

唢 appears mainly in the word 唢呐 (suǒ nà), a traditional Chinese double-reed horn used in folk music and weddings. You might see it in phrases like 吹唢呐 (play the suona) or 唢呐声 (sound of a suona), especially in descriptions of rural festivals or opera performances.

Common words containing 唢 include: 唢呐 (suǒ nà) — Suona (Chinese woodwind instrument); 吹唢呐 (chuī suǒ nà) — to play the suona; 唢呐声 (suǒ nà shēng) — The sound of a suona.