哑

• Pinyin: yǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 哑 = 口 (mouth radical) + 亚 (secondary/inferior — suggesting diminished or absent vocal function)

Meaning

Mute; unable to speak; voiceless. Also describes a hoarse or raspy voice, or sounds that are suppressed and inaudible.

Used in 哑巴 (mute person), 哑口无言 (speechless; at a complete loss for words), 哑谜 (a riddle with no clear answer), 哑剧 (mime/pantomime), 沙哑 (hoarse/raspy). Can describe both a permanent inability to speak and a temporary loss of voice from illness or shock.

Examples

1. 那位哑巴摊主虽然无法开口说话，却凭借娴熟的手势和真诚的态度赢得了周围居民的一致信任。 Although the mute street vendor couldn’t speak, he earned the trust of local residents through skillful gestures and a sincere attitude.
2. 他被对方突如其来的犀利反问问得哑口无言，在众目睽睽之下支支吾吾，再也无法维持之前的强硬立场。 He was left speechless by the other person’s sudden, sharp question. In front of everyone, he stammered and could no longer maintain his previously hardline stance.
3. 长时间在嘈杂的工厂环境中大声工作，她的嗓子逐渐变得沙哑，医生建议她尽量减少讲话。 After working and shouting for long periods in a noisy factory, her voice gradually became hoarse, and the doctor advised her to speak as little as possible.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, daily life, rhetoric, idiom

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 沉默寡言的他在会议上突然发言，条理清晰地指出了项目的核心漏洞，令全场哑口无言，无从反驳。(The usually taciturn man suddenly spoke at the meeting, methodically exposing the project's core flaw — the entire room was left speechless, with no way to refute him.)
• 病后嗓子沙哑了好几天，她不得不推迟了原定的演讲，待声音完全恢复正常后才重新安排日程。(Her voice was hoarse for several days after the illness, forcing her to postpone her scheduled speech and reschedule only after her voice had fully recovered.)

Don't Say

• 他说话很哑 — 哑 alone implies complete muteness or total voicelessness, not merely a quiet speaking style; for a softly spoken person use 他说话声音很小; for hoarseness use 他嗓音沙哑

Origin & History

哑 = 口 (mouth) + 亚 (inferior/secondary) — a mouth that cannot function fully, i.e. one that cannot produce sound

Cultural Context

Era: Classical/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal