斯 sī — (phonetic); this
他是个斯文的人。Tā shì ge sī wén de rén.He is a refined person.
Common words: 斯文 (sī wén)、如斯 (rú sī)、高斯 (gāo sī)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "phonetic"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "phonetic", including 斯 (sī), 耶 (yē), 啦 (lā / la), 莎 (shā / suō), 陀 (tuó). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "phonetic" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 斯 (sī), 耶 (yē), 啦 (lā / la), 莎 (shā / suō), 陀 (tuó) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span sī, yē, lā, la, shā, suō, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 斯 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 斯 sī(phonetic); thisUseful words: 斯文, 如斯
- 耶 yē(final part.); (phonetic)Useful words: 比耶, 萨摩耶
- 啦 lā / la(onomat.); (phonetic); (an auxiliary word performing the grammatical functions of mood); fusion of le + aUseful words: 啦啦队, 卡啦
- 莎 shā / suō(insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundusUseful words: 莎草, 莎丽
- 陀 tuó(phonetic); declivity; steep bankUseful words: 头陀, 盘陀
Common words for these 5 "phonetic" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 斯 (sī) — so "phonetic" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
斯文sī wénrefined; educate; cultured; intellectual如斯rú sī(literary) in this way; so高斯gāo sīgauss, unit of magnetic induction比耶bǐ yēto make a V sign (esp. when posing for photos)萨摩耶sà mó yéSamoyed (dog)里维耶拉lǐ wéi yē lāriviera (loanword) (Tw)啦啦队lā lā duìcheerleading squad卡啦kǎ lācrispy, deep-fried呼啦啦hū lā lāflapping sound莎草suō cǎococo-grass; nut sedge (Cyperus rotundus)
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 5 ways to say "phonetic".
耶 yē — (final part.); (phonetic)
圣诞节是为了纪念耶稣的生日。Shèng dàn jié shì wèi le jì niàn Yē sū de shēng rì.Christmas is to commemorate the birthday of Jesus.
Common words: 比耶 (bǐ yē)、萨摩耶 (sà mó yé)、里维耶拉 (lǐ wéi yē lā)
啦 lā / la — (onomat.); (phonetic); (an auxiliary word performing the grammatical functions of mood); fusion of le + a
太好啦，我们终于成功了！Tài hǎo la, wǒ men zhōng yú chéng gōng le!Great, we finally succeeded!
Common words: 啦啦队 (lā lā duì)、卡啦 (kǎ lā)、呼啦啦 (hū lā lā)
莎 shā / suō — (insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundus
莎士比亚是英国著名的剧作家。Shā shì bǐ yà shì Yīng guó zhù míng de jù zuò jiā.Shakespeare was a famous English playwright.
Common words: 莎草 (suō cǎo)、莎丽 (shā lì)、阿莎力 (ā shā lì)
陀 tuó — (phonetic); declivity; steep bank
小朋友们在广场上玩陀螺。Xiǎo péng you men zài guǎng chǎng shàng wán tuó luó.The children play with spinning tops in the square.
Common words: 头陀 (tóu tuó)、盘陀 (pán tuó)、陀罗尼 (tuó luó ní)
All 5 characters
Open 斯、耶、啦 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.