About
The character "呃" (è) serves primarily as a modern onomatopoeic interjection representing a vocalized pause or hiccup, and its structure and meaning are relatively straightforward compared to many other Chinese characters. Its composition is consistently phono-semantic, combining the mouth radical 口, which signifies its connection to sound or speech, with the component 厄, which historically provides both a phonetic hint and a semantic association with obstruction or distress. This etymological foundation suggests its original use was likely tied to the physical sound of a hiccup or a strained vocalization, a meaning it retains in some medical contexts. Over time, its application broadened into the realm of speech as a spoken particle, commonly used in conversation to signal hesitation, a search for words, or a brief moment of thought, thereby evolving from a direct imitation of a bodily sound to a more abstract linguistic filler that maintains a connection to interrupted vocal flow.
Example Sentences Hide
呃，你说什么？
他呃了一声，没再说话。
我吃完饭总容易打嗝。
他说话时不停地呃呃啊啊的。
这种尴尬的呃逆持续了好几分钟。
医生正在研究呃逆的神经反射原理。
他本想反驳，却只发出一个含糊的呃音。
那个突如其来的饱嗝让严肃的会谈气氛变得有些滑稽。