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娃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
babyng, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #9025, Hard
dollng, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #9025, Hard
baby; doll; pretty girlng, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #9025, Hard
(wa2) T2
  1. 1baby
  2. 2doll
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(wa2)

The character 娃 (wá) primarily means 'baby' or 'doll.' It is often used in contexts related to children or to describe something cute and playful, such as a pretty girl. This character is commonly found in compound words related to childhood and innocence.

Strokes9RadicalFrequency#9025DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dolls (娃娃) often symbolize childhood innocence and are used in various traditions. For example, during celebrations like the Spring Festival, parents may give dolls to their children as gifts to wish for good fortune.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cute '娃娃' (wáwá) doll that looks like a baby. The character 娃 has a '女' (nǚ) radical on the left, which indicates its relation to femininity and children, while the right part '娃' sounds like 'wá,' reminding you of the playful sounds of babies.

Meanings of 娃

(wa2)
1baby
2doll
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 娃

Simplified
9Strokes
Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#9025Frequency Rank

Podcast: 娃

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 娃

Quick Contrast

娃 (wá) vs 孩子 (háizi) — use 娃 for a more affectionate or playful connotation, while 孩子 is a more general term for 'child.'

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a cute '娃娃' (wáwá) doll that looks like a baby. The character 娃 has a '女' (nǚ) radical on the left, which indicates its relation to femininity and children, while the right part '娃' sounds like 'wá,' reminding you of the playful sounds of babies.

Usage Notes

Learners may confuse 娃 with similar-sounding words like '华' (huá), which means 'splendid.' This word is informal, often used in everyday conversation, and can appear in phrases like '娃娃车' (wáwá chē) meaning 'baby carriage.' Pay attention to the pronunciation to avoid mixing it up with other tones.

HSK Study Tips

Although 娃 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects well with HSK Level 1 words like '小' (xiǎo) meaning 'small' and '大' (dà) meaning 'big.' Students should focus on using 娃 in simple phrases about children or family.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dolls (娃娃) often symbolize childhood innocence and are used in various traditions. For example, during celebrations like the Spring Festival, parents may give dolls to their children as gifts to wish for good fortune.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 娃 as '娃娃' (wáwá) when they mean to use it in a more formal context. Remember, 娃 can stand alone, but '娃娃' specifically refers to a doll.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 娃

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Etymology of 娃

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A girl 女 made of beautiful jade 圭

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 娃?

Decomposition of 娃

IDS Structure⿰女圭
Full Character
=
nü3
left
gui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 娃?

Write 娃

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 娃

娃 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他是伊____最深恶痛绝的那种人中的典型。

He was the quintessence of all that Eva most deeply loathed.

Example Sentences for 娃 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他是伊娃最深恶痛绝的那种人中的典型。

tā shì yī wá zuì shēn è tòng jué de nà zhǒng rén zhōng de diǎn xíng。

He was the quintessence of all that Eva most deeply loathed.
2
诺娃女士拥有一副美妙动听的好嗓音,对此她深以为豪。

nuò wá nǚ shì yōng yǒu yī fù měi miào dòng tīng de hǎo sǎng yīn, , duì cǐ tā shēn yǐ wéi。

Ms Nova is the proud possessor of a truly incredible voice.
3
伊娃的声音里可能会有一丝羡慕吗?

yī wá de shēng yīn lǐ kě néng huì yǒu yī sī xiàn mù ma?

Could there have been a slight tinge of envy in Eva's voice?
4
“你想吃什么?”——“我吃什么都行,伊娃。”

“ “ nǐ xiǎng chī shí?”——“ mó ?”——“ wǒ chī shí mó, dū háng。”

"What would you like to eat?" — "Anything'll do me, Eva."
5
谢纳托罗娃女士对市场经济学有一种天生的敏感。

xiè nà tuō luó wá nǚ shì duì shì cháng jīng jì xué yǒu yī zhǒng tiān shēng de mǐn gǎn。

Ms Senatorova showed an instinctive feel for market economics.
6
伊娃对他的盲目信任让他感到宽慰。

yī wá duì tā de máng mù xìn rèn ràng tā gǎn dào kuān wèi。

He found comfort in Eva's blind faith in him.
7
在决赛中,三号种子选手卡普里亚蒂击败了凯特林娜·马莉娃。

zài jué sài zhōng, , sān hào zhǒng zǐ xuǎn shǒu kǎ pǔ lǐ yà dì jī bài le kǎi tè lín· nà · mǎ。

In the final Capriati, the third seed, defeated Katerina Maleeva.
8
喂, 伊娃, 你的东西都点过了 吗 ?

wèi, , yī, wá , nǐ de dōng xī dū diǎn guò?

Now, Eva , have you kept count of your things?
9
伊娃站了起来,眼睛里燃烧着愤怒。

yī wá zhàn le qǐ lái, , yǎn jīng lǐ rán shāo zháo fèn。

Eva stood up and indignation blazed in her eyes.
10
伊娃作证称看见过赫恩登持枪站在楼梯上。

yī wá zuò zhèng chēng kàn jiàn guò hè ēn dēng chí qiāng zhàn zài lóu tī shàng。

Eva testified to having seen Herndon with his gun on the stairs.

Cultural Notes for 娃

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, dolls (娃娃) often symbolize childhood innocence and are used in various traditions. For example, during celebrations like the Spring Festival, parents may give dolls to their children as gifts to wish for good fortune.

Word Family of 娃

Words Containing This Character13
娃娃wáwababy
baby
伊娃Eva (name)
洋娃娃doll (of Western appearance)
夏娃Eve (in Protestant versions of the Bible) (from Hebrew Ḥawwāh, probably via Cantonese 夏娃 {Haa6waa1})
娃儿children (colloquial)娃兒
莎拉波娃Sharapova (Russian female tennis star)
娃子baby
福娃Fuwa (official 2008 Olympic mascots)
娃娃鱼Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus)娃娃魚
女娃mythological daughter of Fiery Emperor 炎帝[Yán​dì] who turned into bird Jingwei 精衛|精卫[Jīng​wèi] after drowning
库尔尼科娃Anna Sergeevna Kournikova (1981-), Russian tennis star and glamor model庫爾尼科娃
娃娃亲arranged betrothal of minors娃娃親
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 娃娃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 娃

娃 refers specifically to babies or dolls, while 小孩 (xiǎohái) means 'child' and can refer to older kids.