哉

zāi

口 + 𢦏

Definitions

zāi (particle) (exclamatory or interrogative particle)

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: 口

About

哉 is a classical Chinese grammatical particle, built as a phono-semantic compound: the mouth radical 口 on the lower left indicates its connection to speech and vocal tone, while the phonetic component 𢦏 once pictured a weapon or cutting tool but contributes no modern meaning. Throughout its history of use, the character has primarily appeared at the end of sentences to express strong emotions, rhetorical questions, or exclamations of surprise and praise, functioning like an emphatic punctuation mark in classical texts rather than carrying any concrete physical definition.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze Warring States (475-221 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

春天真的美丽哉！

Chūntiān zhēn de měilì zāi!

Spring is truly beautiful!

这朵花非常香哉！

Zhè duǒ huā fēichāng xiāng zāi!

This flower is very fragrant!

你为何独自来哉？

Nǐ wèihé dúzì lái zāi?

Why did you come alone?

完成此事幸哉！

Wánchéng cǐ shì xìng zāi!

It is fortunate to complete this matter!

他的计划成功哉！

Tā de jìhuà chénggōng zāi!

His plan succeeded!

这风景岂不壮丽哉？

Zhè fēngjǐng qǐ bù zhuànglì zāi?

Is not this scenery magnificent?

我们的努力见效哉！

Wǒmen de nǔlì jiànxiào zāi!

Our efforts are bearing fruit!

人生之道，何其复杂哉！

Rénshēng zhī dào, hé qí fùzá zāi!

The way of life, how complicated it is!

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 𢦏

哉