唖
mute, dumb
Readings
On'yomi
- ア
- アク
Kun'yomi
- おし
Meaning
唖 centers on the inability to speak: being mute or dumb. It describes a condition where a person cannot produce speech.
Most common words using 唖
- 唖然あぜんN1
dumbfounded; speechless; flabbergasted; struck dumb with astonishment
- 唖おし
muteness; speech impairment
- 聾唖ろうあ
deafness
- 唖々ああ
caw (of a crow, etc.)
- 唖者あしゃ
(a) mute; mute person
- 唖蝉おしぜみ
voiceless cicada (female); Asian cicada
- 盲唖もうあ
blind and dumb
- 盲唖学校もうあがっこう
school for the blind and dumb
- 聾唖学校ろうあがっこう
school for people unable to hear and speak
Study
Etymology
唖 combines 口 (mouth) with 亜, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to the idea of obstruction or being secondary, suggesting a mouth that cannot speak.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a mouth 口, and the right side 亜 looks like a blocked or obstructed passage. Picture a mouth with something blocking it, making the person mute.
Reading mnemonic
For ア, imagine a person who is mute trying to say 'ah' but no sound comes out: the silent 'ah' cues ア.