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How to Write 鸦 (yā) — Meaning “Crow”

yā HSK Level 7 9 strokes Radical: 鸟

鸦 (yā) means "Crow" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 鸟, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 47% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 乌鸦 (wū yā), 鸦片 (yā piàn), 鸦雀无声 (yā què wú shēng).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 鸦 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 鸦 - yā

Practice Writing 鸦 (yā)

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How to Write 鸦

The character 鸦 (yā) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 鸟 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does yā (鸦) Mean in Chinese?

鸦 means Crow.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 鸦 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character鸦
Pinyinyā (ya)
MeaningCrow
Strokes9
Radical鸟
HSK Level7
Difficulty4/5

Origin of 鸦

鸦 (yā) is a compound character combining the phonetic component 牙 (yá, 'tooth') with the semantic component 鸟 (bird). The character signifies a type of bird whose harsh call resembles the sound 'ya', and the tooth component hints at the crow's sharp, biting voice.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a crow with a sharp tooth (牙) sticking out of its beak, cawing 'ya-ya' at you.

Common Words with 鸦

乌鸦 wū yā
crow / raven
鸦片 yā piàn
Opium
鸦雀无声 yā què wú shēng
Silence; not a sound to be heard.

Example Sentences

乌鸦是黑色的。

wū yā shì hēi sè de

Crows are black.

鸦片有害健康。

yā piàn yǒu hài jiàn kāng

Opium is harmful to health.

教室里鸦雀无声。

jiào shì lǐ yā què wú shēng

The classroom was dead silent.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
鸦 (current) yā 9 鸟
袅 niǎo 10 鸟
鸠 jiū 7 鸟
鸡 jī 7 鸟
Stroke order practice for 鸦 - yā

Practice Writing 鸦 (yā)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 鸦 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 鸦

鸦 is made of two parts: the left side 牙 (yá, meaning 'tooth' or 'fang') and the right side 鸟 (niǎo, meaning 'bird'). The 鸟 radical indicates it is a type of bird, and 牙 gives the sound "yā" while also suggesting the crow's sharp beak like a tooth.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 鸟

袅niǎo鸟niǎo鸠jiū鸡jī鸢yuān鸥ōu鸧cāng鸨bǎo鸩zhèn鸪gū

Other 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ