The character 阿 — “prefix for addressing”: how to write it and what it means

阿
ā

prefix for addressing

7 strokes · HSK 3

The Chinese character 阿 is read ā and means “prefix for addressing”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 阿

阿 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 阿, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 阿 is made of

It goes before kinship words and names; it means nothing on its own.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 阿

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 阿?

阿 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 阿 mean?

阿 means “prefix for addressing”. It appears in 阿姨 (“aunt”).

How do you pronounce 阿?

阿 is read ā. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 阿 have?

7 strokes.

姨 aunt →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 阿 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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