About
The character 耶, etymologically formed from the semantic component 耳 (ear) and the phonetic element derived from 邑 (city), initially suggested associations with auditory phenomena or geographical references, reflecting its structure as a phono-semantic compound. Over time, its meaning shifted from these concrete origins to assume a grammatical function as an interrogative particle in classical Chinese, where it was used to formulate questions with a nuanced tone of doubt or emphasis. This linguistic role gradually receded in everyday speech, but the character was later repurposed for transliterating foreign words, most prominently in the term 耶稣 for Jesus, while also maintaining a presence in exclamatory phrases, illustrating a transition from literal to functional and phonetic applications.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
今天天气真好耶！
你也喜欢这个电影耶！
我们明天去逛街，好耶！
他居然成功了，好厉害耶！
这个好消息，要不要告诉他耶？
即便遇到挫折，他依然乐观耶。
对于这个复杂的问题，你的看法是什么耶？
在那个遥远的国度，风俗习惯截然不同耶。