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喂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
喂wéiheyHSK 1, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wéihello (when answering the phone)HSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wéito feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc)HSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wéito feedHSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wéiinterjection used to call attentionHSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wèiheyHSK 1, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wèihello (when answering the phone)HSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wèito feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc)HSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wèito feedHSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
喂wèiinterjection used to call attentionHSK 1, v, 12 strokes, radical 口, rank #315, Medium
wèi(wei4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1hey
  2. 2hello (when answering the phone)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
喂wèi(wei4)

The character 喂 (wéi) is commonly used as an informal greeting when answering the phone or getting someone's attention, similar to 'hello' or 'hey' in English. Additionally, it can mean 'to feed' in contexts related to animals or infants. Its dual usage makes it versatile in both social and practical situations.

Strokes12Radical口Frequency#315DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, answering the phone with 喂 is standard practice. It reflects the casual yet direct communication style that many Chinese people prefer, especially among friends and family.

Memory Tip

Think of the character 喂 as a person holding food (the mouth radical '口' represents speaking or calling out) while saying 'hey' to get someone's attention. The pronunciation 'wéi' sounds like 'way', as in 'a way to feed someone'. Imagine someone feeding a baby while calling out, 'Hey!'

Meanings of 喂

wèi(wei4)
primary
1hey
2hello (when answering the phone)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 喂

喂Simplified
12Strokes
口Radical
叹词tàncíinterjection (interj.)Part of Speech
#315Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 喂

JasonAmy

Podcast: 喂

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 喂

Memory Mnemonic

Think of the character 喂 as a person holding food (the mouth radical '口' represents speaking or calling out) while saying 'hey' to get someone's attention. The pronunciation 'wéi' sounds like 'way', as in 'a way to feed someone'. Imagine someone feeding a baby while calling out, 'Hey!'

Usage Notes

喂 is primarily informal and should be used in casual conversations, especially over the phone. A common mistake is using it in very formal contexts, where a greeting like 您好 (nín hǎo) would be more appropriate. Be aware of the tone; the correct pronunciation is with a rising tone, not falling.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 喂 connects with other basic greetings and expressions. Focus on practicing its usage in telephone conversations and casual settings, as well as its feeding connotation, to enhance your vocabulary and fluency.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, answering the phone with 喂 is standard practice. It reflects the casual yet direct communication style that many Chinese people prefer, especially among friends and family.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 喂 in formal greetings or in written communication, where a more respectful greeting is required. For example, saying 喂 to a boss instead of 您好 (nín hǎo) is inappropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 喂

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Etymology of 喂

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 畏 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)畏
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 喂?

Decomposition of 喂

IDS Structure⿰口畏
喂Full Character
=
口kou3
left
畏wei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 喂?

Write 喂

喂

Practice writing 喂 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 喂

喂 carries 5 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____，你好。

Hello? (on the phone)

Example Sentences for 喂 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我拿起电话，就听到这个声音：“喂？是艾利森吗？”

wǒ ná qǐ diàn huà， ， jiù tīng dào zhè gè shēng：“ yīn？ ：“ wèi ？ shì ài？”

I answered the phone and this voice went, "Hello? Is that Alison?"
2
乳牛的喂养方法发生了巨大的改变。

rǔ niú de wèi yǎng fāng fǎ fā shēng le jù dà de gǎi biàn。

The feeding of dairy cows has undergone a revolution.
3
过了一会儿，科恩接起电话。“喂？”

guò le yī huì ér， ， kē ēn jiē qǐ diàn。“ huà？”

A moment later, Cohen picked up the phone. "Hello?"
4
鄙人被一声大喊惊醒：“喂！”

bǐ rén bèi yī shēng dà hǎn jīng xǐng：“ ：“！”

Yours truly was awoken by a shout: "Ahoy there!"
5
牲畜已经喂好并关进厩里了。

shēng xù yǐ jīng wèi hǎo bìng guān jìn jiù lǐ le。

The animals had been fed and stabled.
6
有时他会倒嚼我们喂给他吃的食物，因为他无法吞咽。

yǒu shí tā huì dǎo jiáo wǒ mén wèi gěi tā chī de shí wù， ， yīn wéi tā wú fǎ tūn。

Sometimes he regurgitates the food we give him because he cannot swallow.
7
她批评我不会给他喂奶、不会换尿布。

tā pī píng wǒ bù huì gěi tā wèi nǎi、 、 bù huì huàn niào。

She criticizes me for the way I feed or change him.
8
她喊她的小儿子：“喂，斯蒂芬，过来看看这个!”

tā hǎn tā de xiǎo ér zǐ：“ ：“， wèi ， sī， dì fēn ， guò lái kàn!”

She called her young son: "Here, Stephen, come and look at this!"
9
我对如何抱婴儿、如何给婴儿喂食一无所知。

wǒ duì rú hé bào yīng ér、 、 rú hé gěi yīng ér wèi shí yī wú suǒ。

I knew absolutely nothing about handling or feeding a baby.
10
喂，约翰!我们能帮你做点什么吗？

wèi， ， yuē! hàn ! wǒ mén néng bāng nǐ zuò diǎn shí？

Hello John. What can we do for you?

Cultural Notes for 喂

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, answering the phone with 喂 is standard practice. It reflects the casual yet direct communication style that many Chinese people prefer, especially among friends and family.

Word Family of 喂

Words Containing This Character4
喂wèihey
喂养wèiyǎngto keep餵養
喂食to feed餵食
喂奶to breast-feed
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 喂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 喂

No, 喂 is informal and should be avoided in formal contexts like business calls.