唉
āi · HSK 7
mild exclamation/sigh
😮💨 Sounds like the English sigh AI — as in oh AI, what now?
When you let out a weary breath, you say āi — it sounds almost like saying the letters A-I with a sigh. The character combines mouth radical 口 with the phonetic 矣, an old particle meaning something is done or settled.
唉 — mouth 口 + 矣 (phonetic)
A phono-semantic compound: 口 (mouth) gives the meaning of a vocal sound, while 矣 supplies the pronunciation. Originally written to represent a sigh or interjection, 唉 still functions today as an exclamation expressing weariness, regret, or resigned response.