Definitions
(particle)
prefix used before names and kinship terms to show familiarity
(verb)
to flatter
(particle)
used in transliterations
About
The character "阿" derives from an early pictorial concept of a hill or mound, structurally formed by the radical "阝" indicating terrain and the component "可" serving a phonetic role, with its initial meaning centered on a steep slope or earthen bank. Over time, its semantic scope widened to include notions of curvature or bending, and then shifted more abstractly to function as a prefix applied to personal names, kinship terms, and titles, thereby acquiring social and grammatical functions that express familiarity, affection, or honorific nuance. This evolution from a concrete geographical term to a widely used prefix occurred without alteration to its traditional graphical composition, reflecting how the character's utility adapted to meet developing linguistic needs across different periods.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
阿姨来我家了。
阿妈叫我吃饭。
阿明是我的朋友。
阿婆在公园里散步。
阿拉伯国家很多。
阿根廷足球很厉害。
阿里巴巴是一家大公司。
阿联酋的首都是阿布扎比。