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藹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
藹ǎilush; friendly, affablex, 20 strokes, radical 艹
ǎi(ai3) T3
  1. 1lush; friendly, affable
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

藹ǎi(ai3)

The character 藹 (ǎi) conveys a sense of lushness and friendliness. It is often used to describe a rich, verdant environment or a warm, affable demeanor. In literature and poetry, it can depict the beauty of nature or the pleasantness of human interactions.

Strokes20Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, lush landscapes often symbolize prosperity and harmony, making 藹 a positive descriptor in both natural and social contexts. It reflects the appreciation of nature, which is a significant aspect of Chinese aesthetics.

Memory Tip

Imagine a garden full of vibrant plants that are so lush (藹) that they seem to smile and greet you warmly. The character has the 'grass' radical (艹) on top, suggesting that it's related to plants, while the bottom part sounds like 'ai,' which you can remember as a friendly greeting.

Meanings of 藹

ǎi(ai3)
1lush; friendly, affable
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 藹

藹Simplified
20Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 藹

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Podcast: 藹

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AI Study Notes for 藹

Usage Notes

This character is relatively formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. It collocates well with terms related to nature and friendliness, such as 藹藹 (ǎi ǎi), meaning 'friendly' or 'hospitable.' Be mindful of the third tone when pronouncing it, as tone errors can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

While 藹 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other nature-related words that may appear in HSK levels 4 and 5. Focus on its usage in literary contexts to deepen understanding of descriptive language.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 藹 with similar-sounding words. For example, using 藹 (ǎi) instead of 爱 (ài) for 'love' can lead to misunderstandings. Remember that 藹 focuses on lushness and friendliness, while 爱 is about affection.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 藹

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Etymology of 藹

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 谒 represents the sound. Simplified form of 藹.

Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)謁
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 藹

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 谒 represents the sound. Simplified form of 藹.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half謁 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 藹? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 藹?

Decomposition of 藹

IDS Structure⿱艹謁
藹Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
謁ye4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 藹?

How to say lush; friendly, affable in Chinese

“lush; friendly, affable” in Chinese is藹ǎi

The character 藹 (ǎi) conveys a sense of lushness and friendliness. It is often used to describe a rich, verdant environment or a warm, affable demeanor. In literature and poetry, it can depict the beauty of nature or the pleasantness of human interactions.

When to use 藹

This character is relatively formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. It collocates well with terms related to nature and friendliness, such as 藹藹 (ǎi ǎi), meaning 'friendly' or 'hospitable.' Be mindful of the third tone when pronouncing it, as tone errors can change the meaning.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 藹 with similar-sounding words. For example, using 藹 (ǎi) instead of 爱 (ài) for 'love' can lead to misunderstandings. Remember that 藹 focuses on lushness and friendliness, while 爱 is about affection.

Write 藹

藹

Practice writing 藹 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 藹

Words Containing This Character4
和蔼hé’ǎikindly和藹
和蔼可亲affable和藹可親
蔼ǎifriendly藹
蔼然amicable藹然
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 和蔼 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 藹

It is pronounced as 'ǎi' with a falling-rising tone.

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