阿 (ā) — prefix before names and kinship terms; used in transliteration in Mandarin
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#1174 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
阿 is pronounced ā. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒ de péngyou Āmíng.
My friend Aming.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 阿 mean?+
阿 (ā) means "prefix before names and kinship terms; used in transliteration" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 阿?+
阿 is pronounced ā. It uses the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 阿 in Mandarin?+
阿 is the #1174 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Words at a similar frequency
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What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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