吆

yāo

Rank #3551

Definitions

yāo (verb) to shout; to yell; to call out

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 幺 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 幺

About

The character "吆" is a phonetic compound that integrates the mouth radical (口) with the component "幺" to indicate pronunciation, forming a structure dedicated to representing vocal sounds such as those used in shouting or hawking goods, particularly within the term "吆喝". Its etymology is tied to vernacular expressions for audible cries, with the mouth element consistently emphasizing oral action while the phonetic part serves solely to guide reading. Over time, this character has retained a narrow semantic scope focused on vocal projection, maintaining its role in depicting specific auditory calls without expanding into unrelated meanings, which reflects its specialized function in the language.

Example Sentences Hide

他在街上大声吆喝。

Tā zài jiē shàng dà shēng yāo he.

He was shouting loudly on the street.

小贩正吆喝着卖水果。

Xiǎofàn zhèng yāohezhe mài shuǐguǒ.

The vendor is calling out to sell fruit.

你听见外面吆喝的声音了吗？

Nǐ tīngjiàn wàimiàn yāohe de shēngyīn le ma?

Did you hear the sound of shouting outside?

那个老板吆喝着招揽客人进店。

Nàge lǎobǎn yāohezhe zhāolǎn kèrén jìn diàn.

That shop owner is calling out to solicit customers into the store.

他吆喝了几声，可是没人回应。

Tā yāohe le jǐ shēng, kěshì méi rén huíyìng.

He called out a few times, but no one responded.

市场里充满了商贩的吆喝声和讨价还价声。

Shìchǎng lǐ chōngmǎn le shāngfàn de yāohe shēng hé tǎojià-huánjià shēng.

The market was filled with the shouts of vendors and the sound of bargaining.

摊主用洪亮的嗓音吆喝着商品的特价信息。

Tānzhǔ yòng hóngliàng de sǎngyīn yāohezhe shāngpǐn de tèjià xìnxī.

The stall keeper was calling out the special price information of the goods in a loud voice.

为了吸引顾客的注意，他不得不变换着花样吆喝。

Wèile xīyǐn gùkè de zhùyì, tā bù dé bù biànhuàn zhe huāyàng yāohe.

In order to attract customers' attention, he had to vary the way he called out.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 幺

Components

口幺

吆