阿

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

阿 (Kangxi radical 170, 阜+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 弓中一弓口 (NLMNR), four-corner 7122₀, composition ⿰阝可)

Descendants

• ア
• 𛀄

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1348, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 41599
• Dae Jaweon: page 1850, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 4119, character 11
• Unihan data for U+963F

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		阿

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 阿
Warring States
Bronze inscriptions

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
砢	*ɡ·raːlʔ
柯	*kaːl
菏	*kaːl, *ɡaːl
牁	*kaːl
滒	*kaːl
哥	*kaːl
歌	*kaːl
謌	*kaːl
鴚	*kaːl
哿	*kaːlʔ
舸	*kaːlʔ
笴	*kaːlʔ, *kaːnʔ
軻	*kʰaːl, *kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
珂	*kʰaːl
可	*kʰaːlʔ
岢	*kʰaːlʔ
坷	*kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
蚵	*kʰaːls, *ɡaːl
呵	*qʰaːl, *qʰaːls
訶	*qʰaːl
抲	*qʰaːl
荷	*qʰaːls, *ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
何	*ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
河	*ɡaːl
苛	*ɡaːl
魺	*ɡaːl
袔	*ɡaːls
阿	*qaːl
妸	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
疴	*qaːl, *kʰraːls
鈳	*qaːl
娿	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
痾	*qaːl
跒	*kʰraːlʔ
閜	*qʰraːlʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *qaːl) : semantic 阜 + phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ): Originally meaning a big mound.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔa(ŋ/k)- (“noun prefix”) (STEDT).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): ā, à (a¹, a⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄚ, ㄚˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): a¹

• Cantonese (Jyutping): aa³
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): â
• Eastern Min (BUC): ŏ̤
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): a / o

  (Teochew, Peng'im): a¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹a; ¹u

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ā
    • Zhuyin: ㄚ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: a
    • Wade–Giles: a¹
    • Yale: ā
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: a
    • Palladius: а (a)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀä⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: à
    • Zhuyin: ㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: à
    • Wade–Giles: a⁴
    • Yale: à
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ah
    • Palladius: а (a)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀä⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: a¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: a
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /a⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: aa³
    • Yale: a
    • Cantonese Pinyin: aa³
    • Guangdong Romanization: a³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /aː³³/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: â
    • Hakka Romanization System: a´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: a¹
    • Sinological IPA: /a²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ŏ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /o⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a / o
    • Tâi-lô: a / o
    • Phofsit Daibuun: af, oy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /a⁴⁴/, /o⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /a³³/, /o³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /a⁴⁴/, /o⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /a⁴⁴/, /o⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /a⁴⁴/, /ɤ⁴⁴/

Note:

• a - vernacular;
• o - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: a¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: a
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /a³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ¹a; ¹u
    • MiniDict: a^平; u^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹a; ¹u
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /a⁵³/, /u⁵³/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 阿

1. Used in front of persons' given names or kinship terms to express familiarity (traditionally in rural or southern Chinese dialects).

   阿爸  ―  ābà  ―  Dad

   阿扁  ―  Ā Biǎn  ―  A-Bian (Chen Shui-bian)

   阿甘  ―  Ā Gān  ―  A-Gump (Forrest Gump)

   《阿Q正傳》／《阿Q正传》  ―  “Āqiū Zhèngzhuàn”  ―  The True Story of Ah Q

2. (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 啊 (ā, á, ǎ, à, a, “particle”).
3. Short for 阿富汗 (Āfùhàn, “Afghanistan”).
4. Short for 阿爾巴尼亞／阿尔巴尼亚 (Ā'ěrbāníyà, “Albania”).
5. Short for 阿拉伯 (Ālābó, “Arabic”).
6. (loanword) atto- (SI unit prefix)

See also

SI prefix
Last		Next
飛／飞 (fēi)	阿	介/仄

Descendants

• → English: Ah

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ē (e¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄜ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): o¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): o / o͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): o¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ē
    • Zhuyin: ㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: e
    • Wade–Giles: o¹
    • Yale: ē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: e
    • Palladius: э (e)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɤ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: o¹
    • Yale: ō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: o¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: o¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɔː⁵⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: o
    • Tâi-lô: o
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oy
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /o³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɤ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /o⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: o͘
    • Tâi-lô: oo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: of
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɔ³³/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɔ⁴⁴/

Note:

• Quanzhou:
  • o - vernacular;
  • o͘ - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: o¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: o
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /o³³/

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• Middle Chinese: 'a

Rime
Character	阿
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏何切
Baxter	'a
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔa/
Li Rong	/ʔɑ/
Wang Li	/ɑ/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ē
Expected Cantonese Reflex	o1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*qˤa[j]/, /*ʔˤa/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qaːl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	阿	阿
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	ē	ē
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔa ›	‹ ʔa ›
Old Chinese	/*qˁa[j]/	/*ʔˁa/ (< *qˁaj)
English	slope, river bank	阿會亘 ēhuìxuān: Skt. ābhāsvara “shining” (E. Hàn)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	阿
Reading #	1/1
No.	7468
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	阿
Old Chinese	/*qaːl/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 阿

1. big mound
2. mountain
3. fine silks
4. bend; corner
5. waterside
6. nearby; near
7. a surname
8. to flatter; to pander to

   阿諛奉承／阿谀奉承  ―  ēyúfèngchéng  ―  sweet-talking

9. to be unfairly partial to
10. (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 屙 (ē, “to excrete”).

Compounds

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

阿

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

Readings

• Go-on: あ (a)
• Kan-on: あ (a)
• Kun: くま (kuma, 阿); おもねる (omoneru, 阿る)
• Nanori: お (o); くま (kuma)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
阿
あ Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 阿 (MC 'a).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a̠]

Noun

阿(あ) • (a) 

1. The first letter of Sanskrit, अ (a).

Derived terms

• 阿(あ)字(じ) (aji)
• 阿(あ)吽(うん) (aun)

See also

• 吽(うん) (un)
• 梵(ぼん)字(じ) (bonji)

Affix

阿(あ) • (a) 

1. to flatter; to pander to
2. ridge (of roof); eaves
3. A prefix expressing familiarity.
4. Used as a phonetic element, especially in words from Sanskrit.
5. Short for 阿弗利加 (Afurika, “Africa”).
6. Short for 阿波国 (Awa no kuni, “Awa Province”).

Derived terms

to flatter; to pander to

• 阿(あ)諛(ゆ) (ayu, “flattery”)

phonetic element

• 阿(あ)修(しゅ)羅(ら) (ashura, “Asura”)
• 阿(あ)僧(そう)祇(ぎ) (asōgi, “Asaṃkhyeya”)
• 阿(あ)毘(び)達(だつ)磨(ま) (abidatsuma, “Abhidharma”)
• 阿弗利加(アフリカ) (afurika, “Africa”)
• 阿(あ)片(へん) (ahen, “opium”)
• 阿(あ)弥(み)陀(だ) (amida, “Amitābha”)
• 阿(オ)蘭(ラン)陀(ダ) (oranda, “Holland; The Netherlands”)

others

• 阿(あ)呆(ほう) (ahō)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 阿 – see the following entry.

【くま】 [noun] 隈, 曲, 阿: corner, nook, recess [noun] 隈, 曲, 阿: shade, shadow, dark area [noun] 隈, 曲, 阿: dark circles under one's eyes. often clarified as 目の下のくま. Alternative spellings 隈, 曲

(This term, 阿, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

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Korean

Hanja

阿 • (a, ok) (hangeul 아, 옥)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Compounds

• 아편 (阿片, apyeon)

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 阿 (a, à)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.