Definitions

(onomatopoeia) sound of wind or rain
(particle) used in phonetic transcriptions

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character '喇' is structured with the mouth radical (口) on the left and the component '剌' on the right, which functions as a phonetic element indicating its pronunciation. Etymologically, '喇' was initially employed in Chinese transliterations of foreign terms, particularly from Sanskrit in Buddhist contexts, where it carried no semantic weight. Over centuries, its usage expanded into onomatopoeic and sound-descriptive compounds, such as '喇叭' for trumpet, leading to an association with loud, piercing noises. This shift solidified its role in modern Mandarin, where it appears almost exclusively in words related to sound production or amplification.

Example Sentences Hide

叭声音很大。

Lǎba shēngyīn hěn dà.

The speaker's volume is very loud.

嘛在寺庙里。

Lǎma zài sìmiào lǐ.

The lama is in the temple.

小孩流哈子了。

Xiǎohái liú hālázi le.

The child is drooling.

叭花很漂亮。

Lǎbahua hěn piàoliang.

The morning glory flowers are very beautiful.

他穿着叭裤。

Tā chuānzhe lǎbakù.

He is wearing bell-bottom pants.

叭坏了要修理。

Lǎba huài le yào xiūlǐ.

The speaker is broken and needs to be repaired.

嘛诵经声音低沉。

Lǎma sòngjīng shēngyīn dīchén.

The lama chants scriptures in a low voice.

子弄湿了枕头。

Hālázi nòngshī le zhěntou.

Drool made the pillow wet.