How to Write 哑 (yǎ) — Meaning “Mute / Hoarse”

Picture a person (亚) covering their mouth (口) with a hand because they cannot speak. This image of someone silencing their own voice helps you remember that 哑 means mute or hoarse.

Write the left radical 口 first with three strokes, then the right part 亚 with six strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal. A common mistake is making the 口 too wide—keep it narrow and level with the top of 亚.

Unlike 哑, which has 口 on the left and means mute, 君 (jūn) has 口 on top and means lord or ruler, while 吝 (lìn) has 口 at the bottom and means stingy. Visually, 哑 is left-right, 君 is top-bottom with 尹, and 吝 is top-bottom with 文.

The character 哑 appears in common words like 沙哑 (shā yǎ, hoarse voice) and 哑巴 (yǎ ba, mute person). It is also used in the word 哑铃 (yǎ líng, dumbbell) because dumbbells do not make sound when lifted. Note that 哑巴 can be considered impolite, so it is better to say 不能说话的人 (person who cannot speak).

Common words containing 哑 include: 哑巴 (yǎ ba) — Mute person; 沙哑 (shā yǎ) — Hoarse; 哑铃 (yǎ líng) — Dumbbell.