哀

哀 U+54C0, 哀 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-54C0 ← 咿 [U+54BF] CJK Unified Ideographs 品 → [U+54C1]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

哀 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 卜口竹女 (YRHV), four-corner 0073₂, composition ⿳亠口𧘇)

References

• KangXi: page 188, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3580
• Dae Jaweon: page 407, character 11
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 620, character 10
• Unihan data for U+54C0

Chinese

Glyph origin

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

	Old Chinese
哀	*qɯːl
依	*qɯl
衣	*qɯl, *qɯls
扆	*qɯlʔ
庡	*qɯlʔ
偯	*qɯlʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *qɯːl): phonetic 衣 (OC *qɯl, *qɯls) + semantic 口 (“mouth”).

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		哀

Probably sound-symbolic (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): āi (ai¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄞ

  (Chengdu, SP): ngai¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): oi¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): oi¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): ngai¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ôi

  (Meixian, Guangdong): oi¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): ghai¹
• Min Bei (KCR): uói
• Min Dong (BUC): ăi
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): ai

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ai¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): ¹e
• Xiang (Wiktionary): ngai¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: āi
    • Zhuyin: ㄞ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ai
    • Wade–Giles: ai¹
    • Yale: āi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ai
    • Palladius: ай (aj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ngai¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ngai
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋai⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: oi¹
    • Yale: ōi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: oi¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɔːi̯⁵⁵/

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

• • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵘɔi³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ngai¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋai⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ôi
    • Hakka Romanization System: oi´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /oi̯²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /oɪ⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ghai¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɣai¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: uói
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uɛ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ăi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ai⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ai
    • Tâi-lô: ai
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ay
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ai⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ai³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ai⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ai⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ai⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ai¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ai
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ai³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: ¹e
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /e̞⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ngai¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋai³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 哀
Mandarin	Beijing	/ai⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ai⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/nai²¹/
	Jinan	/ŋɛ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ɣɛ²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/ai²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ŋai²¹/
	Xining	/nɛ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ɛ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ɛ³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ai⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/ŋai⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ŋai⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ŋai⁵⁵/ /ai⁵⁵/ 新
	Kunming	/æ⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ae³¹/
	Hefei	/ʐe̞²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɣai¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ŋæ¹³/
	Hohhot	/ŋɛ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/e⁵³/
	Suzhou	/e̞⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ʔe̞³³/
	Wenzhou	/e³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ŋɛ³¹/
	Tunxi
Xiang	Changsha	/ŋai³³/
	Xiangtan	/ŋai³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ŋai⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/oi⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/oi²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/ɔi⁵³/
	Nanning	/ɔi⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/ɔi⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/ai⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/ai⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/uɛ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/ai³³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/ai²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ʔʌi/

Rime
Character	哀
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	咍 (41)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏開切
Baxter	'oj
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʌi/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔəi/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɒi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔəj/
Li Rong	/ʔᴀi/
Wang Li	/ɒi/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔɑ̆i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	āi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	oi1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔˤəj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qɯːl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	哀
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	āi
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔoj ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔˁəj/
English	to pity; sad
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	哀
Reading #	1/1
No.	14835
Phonetic component	衣
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	哀
Old Chinese	/*qɯːl/

Definitions

哀

1. to pity; to sympathize
2. to lament; to mourn

   哀悼  ―  āidào  ―  to lament; to mourn

   哀求  ―  āiqiú  ―  to beg; to implore

3. sad; mournful; pitiful; sorrowful

   哀痛  ―  āitòng  ―  sad; grieved

4. grief; sorrow

   節哀／节哀  ―  jié'āi  ―  to restrain one's grief

5. orphaned of one's mother due to her passing
6. a surname

Compounds

Derived terms from 哀

• 七哀
• 乞哀
• 佞哀
• 修哀
• 割哀
• 可哀 (kě'āi)
• 吞哀
• 含哀
• 告哀
• 哀丐
• 哀丘
• 哀些
• 哀人
• 哀兵
• 哀切 (āiqiè)
• 哀匏
• 哀卹
• 哀厚
• 哀叩
• 哀叫 (āijiào)
• 哀吊
• 哀吟
• 哀吹豪竹
• 哀告 (āigào)
• 哀咽
• 哀哀
• 哀哇
• 哀哉 (āizāi)
• 哀哭 (āikū)
• 哀哽
• 哀嗟
• 哀壑
• 哀婉 (āiwǎn)
• 哀子
• 哀宥
• 哀家 (āijiā)
• 哀家梨
• 哀容
• 哀察
• 哀平
• 哀弄
• 哀弦
• 哀心
• 哀念
• 哀怛
• 哀思 (āisī)
• 哀急
• 哀怨 (āiyuàn)
• 哀恕
• 哀恤
• 哀恨
• 哀恫
• 哀悃
• 哀悲
• 哀悴
• 哀悼 (āidào)
• 哀情 (āiqíng)
• 哀惋
• 哀惜
• 哀惶
• 哀惸
• 哀愁 (āichóu)
• 哀愍
• 哀感
• 哀慕
• 哀戚 (āiqī)
• 哀拯
• 哀挽
• 哀摧
• 哀敬
• 哀文
• 哀曼
• 哀杖
• 哀梨
• 哀楚
• 哀歌 (āigē, “elegy”)
• 哀求 (āiqiú)
• 哀泣 (āiqì)
• 哀激
• 哀牢 (Āiláo)
• 哀狖
• 哀玉
• 哀疚
• 哀痛 (āitòng)
• 哀眷
• 哀矜 (āijīn)
• 哀石
• 哀祈
• 哀祭

• 哀笳
• 哀策
• 哀籥
• 哀素
• 哀耗
• 哀臞
• 哀苦 (āikǔ)
• 哀荒
• 哀角
• 哀迫
• 哀迷
• 哀酸
• 哀雅
• 哀音
• 哀默
• 垂哀
• 奔哀
• 孤哀子
• 寒哀
• 居哀
• 怨哀哀
• 怨怨哀哀
• 息哀
• 悲哀 (bēi'āi)
• 愁哀
• 愍哀
• 成哀
• 新哀
• 求哀
• 清哀
• 牛哀
• 矜哀
• 祁哀
• 祥哀
• 禹哀
• 穆哀
• 羊角哀
• 耗矣哀哉
• 致哀 (zhì'āi)
• 苦苦哀求
• 豪管哀弦
• 赴哀
• 遂哀
• 遣哀
• 酸哀
• 默哀 (mò'āi)
• 凄哀
• 哀凶
• 哀吁
• 沈哀
• 莫里哀 (Mòlǐ'āi)
• 乞哀告憐／乞哀告怜 (qǐ'āigàolián)
• 傷哀／伤哀
• 八哀詩／八哀诗
• 哀傷／哀伤 (āishāng)
• 哀兵必勝／哀兵必胜 (āibīngbìshèng)
• 哀冊／哀册
• 哀厲／哀厉
• 哀哀欲絕／哀哀欲绝
• 哀啟／哀启 (āiqǐ)
• 哀嘆／哀叹 (āitàn)
• 哀囀／哀啭
• 哀壯／哀壮
• 哀娛／哀娱
• 哀弔／哀吊
• 哀彈／哀弹
• 哀悽／哀凄 (āiqī)
• 哀惻／哀恻
• 哀感頑豔／哀感顽艳
• 哀愨／哀悫
• 哀愴／哀怆
• 哀慘／哀惨
• 哀慟／哀恸 (āitòng)
• 哀慼／哀戚
• 哀憂／哀忧
• 哀憐／哀怜 (āilián)
• 哀憤／哀愤
• 哀憫／哀悯
• 哀懇／哀恳
• 哀懼／哀惧
• 哀戀／哀恋
• 哀時／哀时
• 哀書／哀书
• 哀榮／哀荣 (āiróng)
• 哀樂／哀乐 (āiyuè)
• 哀歎／哀叹
• 哀毀／哀毁
• 哀毀瘠立／哀毁瘠立 (āihuǐjílì)
• 哀毀骨立／哀毁骨立 (āihuǐgǔlì)

• 哀氣／哀气
• 哀江南賦／哀江南赋
• 哀江頭／哀江头
• 哀烏／哀乌
• 哀烏郎／哀乌郎
• 哀煢／哀茕
• 哀王孫／哀王孙
• 哀痛詔／哀痛诏
• 哀箏／哀筝
• 哀籲／哀吁
• 哀絃／哀弦
• 哀結／哀结
• 哀絲／哀丝 (āisī)
• 哀絲豪竹／哀丝豪竹
• 哀而不傷／哀而不伤
• 哀聲／哀声
• 哀聽／哀听
• 哀腸百轉／哀肠百转
• 哀臨／哀临
• 哀艷／哀艳
• 哀號／哀号 (āiháo)
• 哀蟬曲／哀蝉曲
• 哀訴／哀诉
• 哀詔／哀诏 (āizhào)
• 哀詞／哀词
• 哀誄／哀诔
• 哀請／哀请
• 哀識／哀识
• 哀豔／哀艳 (āiyàn)
• 哀贊／哀赞
• 哀輓／哀挽
• 哀轉／哀转
• 哀辭／哀辞 (āicí)
• 哀閔／哀闵
• 哀隱／哀隐
• 哀響／哀响
• 哀頓／哀顿
• 哀風／哀风
• 哀颯／哀飒
• 哀駘／哀骀
• 哀鬱／哀郁
• 哀鳴／哀鸣 (āimíng)
• 哀鴻／哀鸿
• 哀鴻遍地／哀鸿遍地
• 哀鴻遍野／哀鸿遍野 (āihóngbiànyě)
• 哀麗／哀丽
• 喜怒哀樂／喜怒哀乐 (xǐnù'āilè)
• 嗚呼哀哉／呜呼哀哉 (wūhū'āizāi)
• 國哀／国哀
• 奪哀／夺哀
• 娛哀／娱哀
• 憂哀／忧哀
• 憂國哀民／忧国哀民
• 憐哀／怜哀
• 憫哀／悯哀
• 敘哀／叙哀
• 於乎哀哉／于乎哀哉
• 於呼哀哉／于呼哀哉
• 極哀／极哀
• 榮哀／荣哀
• 樂往哀來／乐往哀来
• 樂極哀來／乐极哀来
• 樂極生哀／乐极生哀
• 樂盡哀生／乐尽哀生
• 殺哀／杀哀
• 獨弦哀歌／独弦哀歌
• 生榮亡哀／生荣亡哀
• 生榮死哀／生荣死哀
• 生榮沒哀／生荣没哀
• 發哀／发哀
• 盡哀／尽哀
• 節哀／节哀 (jié'āi)
• 節哀順變／节哀顺变 (jié'āishùnbiàn)
• 舉哀／举哀 (jǔ'āi)
• 苦竹哀絲／苦竹哀丝
• 見哀／见哀
• 誌哀／志哀 (zhì'āi)
• 豪竹哀絲／豪竹哀丝
• 遺哀／遗哀
• 銜哀／衔哀
• 銜哀致誠／衔哀致诚
• 韓哀／韩哀
• 顧哀／顾哀
• 餘哀／余哀
• 驚哀／惊哀
• 鳴哀／鸣哀
• 鴻雁哀鳴／鸿雁哀鸣 (hóngyàn'āimíng)
• 黃雀哀／黄雀哀

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		哀
alternative forms		𡟓

Coblin (2021) proposes that it is a contraction of Common Neo-Hakka compound 阿姆 (*a¹ moi¹), where *moi¹ may have come from earlier *moi⁴, perhaps related to 母 (OC *mɯʔ, “mother”).

Pronunciation

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ôi

  (Meixian, Guangdong): oi¹

---

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ôi
    • Hakka Romanization System: oi´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /oi̯²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: oi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /oɪ⁴⁴/

Definitions

哀

1. (Hakka) mother

   爺哀／爷哀 [Sixian Hakka]  ―  yà-ôi [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]  ―  father and mother; parents

Compounds

• 丈人哀
• 哀仔
• 大哀
• 奶哀

• 子哀
• 老哀仔
• 阿姆哀
• 兩子哀／两子哀

• 後哀／后哀
• 無爺無哀／无爷无哀
• 爺哀／爷哀

Japanese

Kanji

哀

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. pathetic
2. grief
3. sorrow

Readings

• Go-on: あい (ai, Jōyō); お (o)
• Kan-on: あい (ai, Jōyō)
• Kun: あわれ (aware, 哀れ, Jōyō); あわれむ (awaremu, 哀れむ, Jōyō); かなしい (kanashii, 哀しい); かなしむ (kanashimu, 哀しむ)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
哀
あい Grade: S
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 哀 (MC ʔʌi).

Noun

哀(あい) • (ai) 

1. grief; sorrow; sadness; lamentation

   哀(あい)を思(おも)う ― ai o omou ― to feel grief; to grieve; to mourn; lament

2. pity; sympathy

Synonyms

• 悲(かな)しみ (kanashimi)
• 嘆(なげ)き (nageki)
• 憂(うれ)い (urei)

Korean

Hanja

哀 • (ae) (hangeul 애, McCune–Reischauer ae)

1. grief, sorrow
2. sad

Vietnamese

Han character

哀: Hán Nôm readings: ai

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