How to Write 吆 (yāo) — Meaning “To shout / To cry out.”

Imagine a person opening their mouth (口) wide to shout 'Yao!' at a friend far away. The right part 幺 looks like a tiny person with arms raised, making a loud call.

Write the left radical 口 first in three strokes (vertical, horizontal bend, horizontal). Then the right part 幺 has three strokes: first two are left-falling strokes, the third is a horizontal line with a small hook downward—be careful not to confuse 幺 with 乡 (village) which has an extra stroke. Keep 吆 balanced with the mouth slightly smaller than the right side.

吆 means 'to shout' and has the mouth radical plus 幺 (small). 卟 (bǔ) has 口 plus 卜 (divination) and is rarely used, mainly in a chemical term. 古 (gǔ) means 'ancient' and is formed by 十 (ten) over 口; unlike 吆, it has no connection to vocal sounds.

吆 is mostly used in the word 吆喝 (yāo hē), which means to shout or hawk goods, especially by street vendors. You might hear it in markets or traditional scenes, and it carries a lively, cultural feel of old-fashioned street cries.

Common words containing 吆 include: 吆喝 (yāo hē) — To shout / To hawk (one's wares).; 吆喝声 (yāo hē shēng) — Shouting / Hawking sounds.; 大声吆喝 (dà shēng yāo hē) — To shout loudly.