哦

é, ó, ò, o

口 + 我

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

o (particle) particle indicating informality or intimacy; used to show the speaker is stating new information

ò (interjection) oh (expressing realization or understanding)

ó (interjection) oh (expressing doubt or surprise)

é (verb) to chant

Etymology

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

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 我

About

哦 is a phonosemantic compound: 口 ('mouth') represents the meaning, categorizing the character under speech and vocal exclamations, while 我 represents the sound. In its earliest known usage, the character denoted the act of chanting, singing softly, or reciting poetry in a rhythmic and melodic manner. Over time, its function evolved into that of an interjection, used to convey sudden realizations or emotional reactions, the specific sense depending on the tone of pronunciation. In modern Chinese, it serves almost exclusively to signal comprehension, surprise, or mild doubt, acting as a vocal interjection without a strict semantic definition.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

哦，我明白了。

Ò, wǒ míngbái le.

Oh, I understand.

哦，你说得对。

Ò, nǐ shuō de duì.

Oh, you are right.

哦，我马上就来。

Ò, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.

Oh, I'll come right away.

哦，这个问题很难。

Ò, zhège wèntí hěn nán.

Oh, this problem is very difficult.

哦，我终于明白了你的意思。

Ò, wǒ zhōngyú míngbáile nǐ de yìsi.

Oh, I finally understand what you mean.

哦，如果你这么说，那我就同意了。

Ò, rúguǒ nǐ zhème shuō, nà wǒ jiù tóngyì le.

Oh, if you say so, then I agree.

哦，尽管天气不好，我们还是决定出发。

Ò, jǐnguǎn tiānqì bù hǎo, wǒmen háishì juédìng chūfā.

Oh, even though the weather is bad, we still decide to set out.

哦，考虑到所有因素，我认为我们应该采取不同的策略。

Ò, kǎolǜ dào suǒyǒu yīnsù, wǒ rènwéi wǒmen yīnggāi cǎiqǔ bùtóng de cèlüè.

Oh, considering all factors, I think we should adopt a different strategy.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 我

哦