啞 (yǎ) - Mute & unable to speak

啞Tone 3

yǎ ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

啞 · yǎ

Mute;

unable to speak;

dumb;

hoarse;

husky (voice);

(of jokes, performances) falling flat;

unamusing.

Muteunable to speakdumb

Usage highlights

Mute personHoarse voiceDumb bellDeafLose one's voiceMute performance

Synonyms

  • 默— silent; quiet (different connotation)
  • 喑— silent; mute (literary)

Antonyms

  • 言— speak; word
  • 语— language; speech
  • 响— loud; resonant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was born mute (天生哑巴).
  • She lost her voice from shouting (喊哑了嗓子).
  • The joke fell flat (这个笑话很哑).
  • A hoarse voice (沙哑的声音).

Collocations

  • Mute person(哑巴)
  • Hoarse voice(哑嗓)
  • Dumb bell(哑铃)
  • Deaf-mute(聋哑)
  • Lose one's voice(失哑)
  • Mute performance(哑剧)

Idioms

  • Dumbstruck with amazement(哑口无言)
  • Eat bitter hardship without complaint(哑巴吃黄连)
  • A dumb person dreaming — unable to tell it(哑巴做梦——说不得)
  • Pretending to be deaf and mute(装聋作哑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, being mute was often associated with misfortune or disability.
  • The character appears in idioms expressing frustration or inability to speak one's mind.
  • Used metaphorically to describe performances or jokes that fail to amuse.

FAQ