雅

yǎ

牙 + 隹

Definitions

yǎ (adjective) elegant; refined; graceful

yǎ (adjective) standard; correct

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 牙 represents the sound.

Semantic: 隹 Phonetic: 牙

About

雅 is a phono-semantic compound. The right side 隹 (zhuī, a short-tailed bird) points to its original meaning: a type of crow. The left side 牙 (yá, tooth) gives the sound. Through phonetic borrowing, the character was adopted to write a homophonous word meaning 'correct, refined, elegant', and this shifted the meaning from a concrete bird to abstract ideals of propriety and grace. Today it conveys elegance, refinement, and proper standards, especially in art, literature, and behavior, with deep historical associations with classical court music and orthodox poetry.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的打扮很优雅。

Tā de dǎbàn hěn yōuyǎ.

Her dressing is very elegant.

这个房间布置得雅致。

Zhège fángjiān bùzhì dé yǎzhì.

This room is decorated tastefully.

他有着高雅的品味。

Tā yǒu zhe gāoyǎ de pǐnwèi.

He has elegant taste.

请到雅座就坐。

Qǐng dào yǎzuò jiùzuò.

Please take a seat in the private room.

这种行为不太雅观。

Zhè zhǒng xíngwéi bù tài yǎguān.

This kind of behavior is not very decent.

他颇有雅兴，常赏花作诗。

Tā pō yǒu yǎxìng, cháng shǎng huā zuò shī.

He has quite a refined interest, often appreciating flowers and writing poems.

主人雅量，不计前嫌。

Zhǔrén yǎliàng, bù jì qián xián.

The host is magnanimous, not holding past grudges.

他的作品兼具雅与俗的特点。

Tā de zuòpǐn jiān jù yǎ yǔ sú de tèdiǎn.

His works combine characteristics of both elegance and vulgarity.

Related Characters

Component: 牙

Component: 隹

雅