哇 (wā) is a Chinese character meaning “wow!”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “wow!”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 圭
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·口部（哇，諂聲也。从口圭聲）+ hanzi-writer-data 现代字形核验
Memory aid
A mouth (口) wide open next to 圭 — the sound shooting out of it. Both parts are really in this character: 口 tells you it is a noise, 圭 is the sound half. The noise is "wā!"
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 哇塞wā sāiwow!; oh my! (exclamation of surprise or admiration)哇 = wā
- 哇哇wā wāwah-wah (the sound of loud crying or wailing)哇 = wā
Go deeper
All readings
wow!; sound of crying
wow!; an exclamation of surprise or admiration; also the sound of loud crying or vomiting
感叹词，表示惊讶或赞叹；也用作拟声词，形容大声哭叫或呕吐的声音。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 哇塞wā sāiwow!; oh my! (exclamation of surprise or admiration)哇 = wā
- 哇哇wā wāwah-wah (the sound of loud crying or wailing)哇 = wā
Rare readings, not taught: wa
Sound component
圭 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 哇 mean?
哇 (wā) means wow!; an exclamation of surprise or admiration; also the sound of loud crying or vomiting.
How do you pronounce 哇?
It is pronounced wā.
What parts is 哇 made of?
口 (mouth) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·口部（哇，諂聲也。从口圭聲）+ hanzi-writer-data 现代字形核验. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 哇 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 哇?
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 哇?
Common ones are 哇塞 and 哇哇. The reading of 哇 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.