亚 yà — Asia; Asian; second; next to; inferior
中国是亚洲最大的国家之一。Zhōng guó shì Yà zhōu zuì dà de guó jiā zhī yī.China is one of the largest countries in Asia.
Common words: 亚军 (yà jūn)、不亚于 (bù yà yú)、不亚 (bù yà)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "next to"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "next to", including 亚 (yà), 挨 (āi / ái). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "next to" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 亚 (yà), 挨 (āi / ái) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yà, āi, ái — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 亚 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 亚 yàAsia; Asian; second; next to; inferiorUseful words: 亚军, 不亚于
- 挨 āi / áilean to; in order; in sequence; next to; suffer (hunger); endureUseful words: 挨着, 挨打
Common words for these 2 "next to" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 亚 (yà) — so "next to" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "next to".
挨 āi / ái — lean to; in order; in sequence; next to; suffer (hunger); endure
同学们挨着次序排好了队。Tóng xué men āi zhe cì xù pái hǎo le duì.The students lined up in order, one next to another.
Common words: 挨着 (āi zhe)、挨打 (ái dǎ)、挨家挨户 (āi jiā āi hù)
All 2 characters
Open 亚、挨 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.