阿

See also: 䧁

阿	U+963F, 阿 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-963F

← 阾
[U+963E]

CJK Unified Ideographs

陀 →
[U+9640]

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)

Derived characters

Descendants

ア
𛀄

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).

“atto-”: Borrowed from English atto-.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): ā, à (a¹, a⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄚ, ㄚˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): a¹

(Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): åq
Cantonese (Jyutping): aa³
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): â
Eastern Min (BUC): ă / ŏ̤
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): a / o

(Teochew, Peng'im): a¹
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹a; ¹u; ⁷aq / ¹a; ¹ou; ⁷aeq

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/
- (Nanjing)
  - Nanjing Pinyin: åq
  - Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): aq⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /aʔ⁵/
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: ă / ŏ̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /a⁵⁵/, /o⁵⁵/

Note:

ă - vernacular;
ŏ̤ - literary.

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
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹a; ¹u; ⁷aq
  - MiniDict: a^平; u^平; ah^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹a; ¹u; ⁴aq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /a⁵³/, /u⁵³/, /aʔ⁵⁵/
- (Northern: Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ¹a; ¹ou; ⁷aeq
  - MiniDict: a^平; ou^平; aeh^入
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /ɑ⁴⁴/, /əu⁴⁴/, /aʔ⁴³/

Note: 4aq - senses 1, 2, 3 only.

Definitions

阿

Prefix used in front of the surname or last character of someone’s given name to express familiarity or friendliness (traditionally used in rural or southern Chinese dialects).
Alternative forms: (dated) 亞／亚, (Hong Kong Cantonese neologism) 牙

阿爸 ― ābà ― dad

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

《阿Q 正傳》／《阿Q 正传》 ― “Āqiū Zhèngzhuàn” ― The True Story of Ah Q
- 阿珍愛上了阿強 / 在一個有星星的夜晚 [MSC, trad.]
  阿珍爱上了阿强 / 在一个有星星的夜晚 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2016, 仁科, 茂涛 (lyrics and music), 《阿珍爱上了阿强》, performed by 五条人
  Ā Zhēn àishàng le Ā Qiáng / zài yīge yǒu xīngxīng de yèwǎn [Pinyin]
  A Zhen fell in love with A Qiang / One night under a starlit sky
(Hokkien, honorific) Prefix to rank seniority for kinship terms.
阿兄 [Hokkien] ― a-hiaⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― eldest brother
(Nanjing Mandarin, Northern Wu, including Suzhounese) Interrogative particle
倷阿姓趙？ [Suzhounese, trad.]
倷阿姓赵？ [Suzhounese, simp.]
From: 1993, 蘇州方言詞典, page 20
Is your surname Chao?

你阿是先生？ [Nanjing Mandarin, trad. and simp.]
Lǐ åq shiī siènsen? [Nankinese Pinyin]
Are you a teacher?
Alternative form of 啊 (ā, á, ǎ, à, a, “particle”)
Short for 阿富汗 (Āfùhàn, “Afghanistan”).
Short for 阿爾巴尼亞／阿尔巴尼亚 (Ā'ěrbāníyà, “Albania”).
Short for 阿拉伯 (Ālābó, “Arabic”).
atto- (SI unit prefix)

Compounds

以阿戰爭／以阿战争
巴依阿瓦提 (Bāyī'āwǎtí)
打阿老
沙特阿拉伯 (Shātè Ālābó)
紅頭阿三／红头阿三
老阿呆
英阿瓦提 (Yīng'āwǎtí)
邁亞美／迈亚美 (Màiyàměi)
邁阿密／迈阿密 (Mài'āmì)
阿Q
阿Sir
阿三 (āsān)
阿三哥
阿也
阿亞圖拉／阿亚图拉 (āyàtúlā)
阿仙藥／阿仙药 (āxiānyào)
阿伐射線／阿伐射线
阿伐粒子
阿伐蛻變／阿伐蜕变
阿伯 (ābó)
阿伽陀 (āqiétuó)
阿依庫勒／阿依库勒 (Āyīkùlè)
阿修羅／阿修罗 (āxiūluó)
阿僧祇 (āsēngqí)
阿兄 (āxiōng)
阿克塞 (Ākèsài)
阿克塞哈薩克族自治縣／阿克塞哈萨克族自治县 (Ākèsài Hāsàkèzú Zìzhìxiàn)
阿克托海 (Ākètuōhǎi)
阿克提坎墩 (Ākètíkǎndūn)
阿克薩拉依／阿克萨拉依 (Ākèsàlāyī)
阿克蘇／阿克苏 (Ākèsū)
阿克賽欽／阿克赛钦 (Ākèsàiqīn)
阿克陶 (Ākètáo)
阿兜眼
阿公 (āgōng)
阿六仔
阿共仔 (a-kiōng-á) (Hokkien)
阿兵哥 (ābīnggē)
阿其克 (Āqíkè)
阿利安人
阿利曼
阿加西 (ājiāxī)
阿勃勒
阿叔 (āshū)
阿合雅 (Āhéyǎ)
阿呀
阿吽 (āhōng)
阿吠斯陀
阿呼地獄／阿呼地狱
阿咸
阿哥哥 (āgēgē)
阿啄仔 (a-tok-á) (Hokkien)
阿嚏 (ātì)
阿圖什／阿图什 (Ātúshí)
阿坶坪
阿堵 (ādǔ)
阿堵物 (ādǔwù)
阿塞拜疆 (Āsàibàijiāng)
阿多尼斯 (Āduōnísī)
阿大 (ādà)
阿奇毛 (āqímáo)
阿奴
阿妗 (aa³ kam⁵) (Cantonese)
阿姊
阿姆 (āmǔ)
阿妹 (āmèi)
阿姑 (āgū)
阿姆河 (Āmǔhé)
阿姨 (āyí)
阿娘 (āniáng)
阿婆 (āpó)
阿媽／阿妈
阿嬌／阿娇
阿嬭／阿奶
阿家
阿家翁
阿富汗 (Āfùhàn)
阿富汗尼 (āfùhànní)
阿富羅底／阿富罗底
阿小
阿尼林 (ānílín)
阿山 (a-soaⁿ) (Hokkien)
阿巴丹
阿布達比／阿布达比 (Ābù Dábǐ)
阿弟 (ādì)
阿必尚
阿恰勒 (Āqiàlè)
阿恰塔格 (Āqiàtǎgé)
阿戎 (āróng)
阿扎西 (āzhāxī)
阿托品 (ātuōpǐn)
阿拉 (Ālā)
阿拉伯 (Ālābó)
阿拉伯膠／阿拉伯胶 (ālābó jiāo)
阿拉伯語／阿拉伯语 (ālābóyǔ)
阿拉哈格 (Ālāhāgé)
阿拉拉夸拉 (Ālālākuālā)
阿拉木汗
阿拉法
阿拉爾／阿拉尔 (Ālā'ěr)
阿提密斯
阿摩尼亞／阿摩尼亚 (āmóníyà)
阿撒不魯／阿撒不鲁 (āsǎbùlǔ)
阿撒布魯／阿撒布鲁 (āsǎbùlǔ)
阿斗 (ādǒu)
阿斯匹靈／阿斯匹灵 (āsīpǐlíng)
阿斯嘉特 (Āsījiātè)
阿旁
阿日希 (Ārìxī)
阿昌族 (Āchāngzú)
阿曼 (Āmàn)
阿月渾子／阿月浑子 (āyuèhúnzǐ)
阿根廷 (Āgēntíng)
阿檀
阿母 (āmǔ)
阿比
阿毗曇／阿毗昙
阿毗達磨／阿毗达磨
阿沙不魯／阿沙不鲁 (a-sa-puh-luh) (Hokkien)
阿波羅／阿波罗 (Ābōluó)
阿洪
阿洪魯庫木／阿洪鲁库木 (Āhóng Lǔkùmù)
阿混
阿澤西／阿泽西 (āzéxī)
阿災／阿灾 (āzāi)
阿熱勒／阿热勒 (Ārèlè)
阿父 (āfù)
阿爸 (ābà)
阿爹 (ādiē)
阿爺／阿爷 (āyé)
阿爾及爾／阿尔及尔 (Ā'ěrjí'ěr)
阿爾斯太／阿尔斯太
阿爾泰山／阿尔泰山 (Ā'ěrtài Shān)
阿爾金山／阿尔金山 (Ā'ěrjīn Shān)
阿片 (āpiàn)
阿物兒／阿物儿
阿特拉斯 (Ātèlāsī)
阿猴 (Āhóu)
阿獃／阿呆 (ādāi)
阿珠媽／阿珠妈 (āzhūmā)
阿環／阿环
阿瓦
阿瓦提 (Āwǎtí)
阿監／阿监 (ājiān)
阿瞞／阿瞒 (Āmán)
阿空卡瓜
阿米巴 (āmǐbā)
阿緱／阿缑 (Āgōu)
阿羅漢／阿罗汉 (āluóhàn)
阿羌 (Āqiāng)
阿美族 (Āměizú)
阿翁
阿耨多羅／阿耨多罗 (ānòuduōluó)
阿耶
阿育王 (Āyùwáng)
阿肯色州
阿胡拉·馬茲達／阿胡拉·马兹达 (Āhúlā Mǎzīdá)
阿膠版／阿胶版
阿舅 (ājiù)
阿芙蓉 (āfúróng)
阿莎力 (āshālì)
阿蓮／阿莲 (Ālián)
阿薩不魯／阿萨不鲁 (āsàbùlǔ)
阿薩姆／阿萨姆 (Āsàmǔ)
阿薩密省／阿萨密省
阿薩布魯／阿萨布鲁 (āsàbùlǔ)
阿蘇山／阿苏山
阿蘭若／阿兰若 (ālánrě)
阿蛇
阿訇 (āhōng)
阿誰／阿谁
阿諾德／阿诺德 (Ānuòdé)
阿貓阿狗／阿猫阿狗 (āmāo'āgǒu)
阿迪格 (Ādígé)
阿迪格語／阿迪格语 (ādígéyǔ)
阿連／阿连 (ālián)
阿速坡 (Āsùpō)
阿達／阿达 (āda)
阿那含
阿郎
阿郎雜碎／阿郎杂碎
阿里 (Ālǐ)
阿里山 (Ālǐshān)
阿里郎 (Ālǐláng)
阿門／阿门 (āmén)
阿闍梨／阿阇梨 (āshélí)
阿阿
阿飛／阿飞 (āfēi)
阿香
阿馬／阿马 (Āmǎ)
阿馬達／阿马达
阿魯／阿鲁
阿鼻 (ābí)
阿鼻地獄／阿鼻地狱 (ābí dìyù)
鬍子阿姨／胡子阿姨

Descendants

→ English: Ah

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ē (e¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄜ
Cantonese (Jyutping): o¹
Eastern Min (BUC): ŏ̤
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): o / o͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): o¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹o

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.

Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ŏ̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /o⁵⁵/
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/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹o
  - MiniDict: o^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹o
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /o⁵³/

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

阿

big mound; mountain
hillside
fine silks
(literary, of a mountain or stream) bend; corner
waterside
nearby; near
to flatter; to pander to
阿諛奉承／阿谀奉承 ― ēyúfèngchéng ― sweet-talking
to be unfairly partial to
Alternative form of 屙 (ē, “to excrete”)
a surname

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (阿):

→ Japanese: 阿(あ) (a)
→ Korean: 아(阿) (a)

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)

The first letter of Sanskrit, अ (a).

Derived terms

阿(あ)字(じ) (aji)
阿(あ)吽(うん) (aun)

Affix

阿(あ) • (a)

to flatter; to pander to
ridge (of roof); eaves
A prefix expressing familiarity.
Used as a phonetic element, especially in words from Sanskrit.
Short for アフリカ (Afurika, “Africa”).
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

Kanji in this term
阿
くま Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

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.)

Korean

Hanja

阿 (eumhun 언덕 아 (eondeok a))
阿 (eumhun 호칭 옥 (hoching ok))

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Compounds

아편 (阿片, apyeon)

References

Naver Hanja Dictionary: 阿

Vietnamese

Han character

阿: Hán Việt readings: a, á
阿: Nôm readings: a, à

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

References

Nom Foundation

SI prefix
Last		Next
飛／飞 (fēi)	阿	介/仄

阿

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Translingual

Han character

Derived characters

Descendants

Further reading

Chinese

Glyph origin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

See also

Descendants

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

Descendants

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

See also

Affix

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Korean

Hanja

Compounds

References

Vietnamese

Han character

References

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阿

Translingual

Han character

Derived characters

Descendants

Further reading

Chinese

Glyph origin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

See also

Descendants

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

Descendants

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

See also

Affix

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Korean

Hanja

Compounds

References

Vietnamese

Han character

References

Navigation menu

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