唉 (āi) is a Chinese character meaning “interjection expressing a sigh of regret, sadness or”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 矣 (a classical sentence-final particle), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “sigh; alas”
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Structure
口 + 矣
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 唉，譍也。从口矣聲；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口 3 + 矣 7 = 10）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to 矣, an old word that closes a sentence: when your mouth runs out of words, all that comes out is a sigh — āi.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 唉声叹气āi shēng tàn qìto sigh and moan; to heave deep sighs唉 = āi
Go deeper
All readings
sigh; alas
interjection expressing a sigh of regret, sadness or resignation; also used as a reply meaning "yes"
叹词，表示叹息、惋惜或无奈；也可用来应答。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 唉声叹气āi shēng tàn qìto sigh and moan; to heave deep sighs唉 = āi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 唉 mean?
唉 (āi) means interjection expressing a sigh of regret, sadness or resignation; also used as a reply meaning "yes".
How do you pronounce 唉?
It is pronounced āi.
What parts is 唉 made of?
口 (mouth) and 矣 (a classical sentence-final particle), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 唉，譍也。从口矣聲；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口 3 + 矣 7 = 10）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 唉 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 唉?
口. 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 唉?
Common ones are 唉声叹气. The reading of 唉 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.