How to Write 哉 (zāi) — Meaning “(exclamatory particle)”

Imagine a person standing on a battlefield shouting "Zāi!" with a big mouth (口) to express awe or surprise. The top part looks like a spear (戈) through a soldier's helmet, symbolizing a dramatic moment. Visualize the exclamation "Zāi!" as a warrior's cry to trigger memory.

Start with the 口 radical on the left, then write the horizontal stroke and the long diagonal slash (戈) crossing through. The final dot on the right must not touch the slash. A common mistake is making the 口 too big or misaligning the diagonal stroke—keep it balanced and slightly tilted.

Unlike 君 (jūn, 'ruler' or 'gentleman') which has a 口 but a different top (尹), 哉 is purely an exclamatory particle. 吝 (lìn, 'stingy') has a 口 above 文, while 哉 has a 戈-like top. Visually, 哉 has a long diagonal stroke through the middle, which neither 君 nor 吝 have.

哉 appears mostly in fixed literary phrases like 悠哉 (leisurely) and 快哉 (how delightful). It is not used in everyday conversation but adds an archaic, poetic flavor. You may encounter it in Buddhist texts (善哉) or classical poetry to express strong feeling.

Common words containing 哉 include: 悠哉 (yōu zāi) — leisurely and carefree; 快哉 (kuài zāi) — How delightful!; 善哉 (shàn zāi) — wonderful; (Buddhist) Amitabha.