嚓

cā, chā
口 + 察

Definitions

cā (onom.) scraping sound; ripping of fabric; screeching of tires
chā (onom.) used in 喀嚓[kā chā] and 啪嚓[pā chā]; Taiwan pr. [cā]

Etymology

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

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 察

About

The character 嚓 is a phonosemantic compound: the left-side mouth radical 口 marks it as an onomatopoeia related to sound or vocalization, while the right-side component 察 indicates the pronunciation. It does not function as a standard noun or verb; instead, it purely evokes a sharp, brief, crisp auditory effect, like a twig snapping, a mechanism clicking, or objects scraping. Typically found in descriptive literature, informal speech, and compound words, it adds auditory realism, mimicking abrupt crackling sounds or the crunch of footsteps on a rough surface.

Example Sentences Hide

我听到咔嚓一声响。

Wǒ tīng dào kāchā yì shēng xiǎng.

I heard a cracking sound.

树枝咔嚓一声断了。

Shùzhī kāchā yì shēng duàn le.

The branch broke with a crack.

他咔嚓一下剪断了绳子。

Tā kāchā yíxià jiǎn duàn le shéngzi.

He cut the rope with a snip.

门咔嚓一声被锁上了。

Mén kāchā yì shēng bèi suǒ shàng le.

The door was locked with a click.

咔嚓的响声吓了我一跳。

Kāchā de xiǎngshēng xià le wǒ yí tiào.

The cracking sound startled me.

每当夜深人静时，总会听到咔嚓咔嚓的声音。

Měi dāng yè shēn rén jìng shí, zǒng huì tīng dào kāchā kāchā de shēngyīn.

Whenever it's late at night and quiet, I always hear cracking sounds.

他小心翼翼地走路，生怕脚下发出咔嚓的声响。

Tā xiǎoxīnyìyì de zǒulù, shēngpà jiǎo xià fā chū kāchā de shēngxiǎng.

He walked carefully, afraid that his footsteps would make a cracking sound.

在寂静的森林里，任何轻微的咔嚓声都可能意味着危险。

Zài jìjìng de sēnlín lǐ, rènhé qīngwēi de kāchā shēng dōu kěnéng yìwèizhe wēixiǎn.

In the quiet forest, any slight cracking sound may imply danger.

Related Characters

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Component: 察

擦 檫 镲 鑔

Example Words

咔嚓 咯嚓 啪嚓 喀嚓 嚓嚓