丫 (yā) is a Chinese character meaning “a forked shape”. It is written from 丷 (two spreading strokes) and 丨 (vertical stroke), one above the other, and takes 3 strokes.
Build the character for “forked shape”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丷 + 丨
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: makemeahanzi dictionary modern decomposition candidate; verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry
Memory aid
Two spreading strokes (丷) sit above a vertical stroke (丨), forming the forked shape of 丫.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
3 strokes
In real words
- 丫头yā tougirl; lass丫 = yā
- 丫鬟yā huanmaidservant丫 = yā
Go deeper
All readings
fork; girl
a forked shape; also used in words referring to a girl or young woman
分叉的形状；也用于指女孩或年轻女子的词语。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 丫头yā tougirl; lass丫 = yā
- 丫鬟yā huanmaidservant丫 = yā
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 丫 mean?
丫 (yā) means a forked shape; also used in words referring to a girl or young woman.
How do you pronounce 丫?
It is pronounced yā.
What parts is 丫 made of?
丷 (two spreading strokes) and 丨 (vertical stroke), one above the other. The recorded source is: makemeahanzi dictionary modern decomposition candidate; verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 丫 have?
3. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 丫?
丨. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 丫?
Common ones are 丫头 and 丫鬟. The reading of 丫 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.