Exclamations
Exclamations in Mandarin Chinese capture strong reactions and are often brief and vivid. This guide goes over common particles, set phrases, and ways to highlight what surprises or moves you.
Key Particles
Key particles like āi 哎, wéi 喂 and a 啊 turn statements into exclamations and add tone. They often attach to the end of a sentence or appear at the start to grab attention.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 哎 | āi | hey / ah (surprise) |
| 喂 | wéi | hey (call out) |
| 啊 | a | ah / wow (emphasis) |
| 天哪 | tiān nǎ | my god (shock) |
| 真 | zhēn | really / truly (intensifier) |
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Set Phrases
Set phrases pack emotion into a fixed form and are easy to use in moment of surprise, delight or dismay. They often double an adjective or add an exaggerated particle.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 太棒了 | tài bàng le | awesome / great |
| 好惊讶 | hǎo jīng yà | so surprised |
| 真可惜 | zhēn kě xī | what a pity |
| 太好了 | tài hǎo le | terrific / great |
| 天啊／天呐 | tiān a / tiān nǎ | wow / my god |
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Forming Exclamations
Exclamations often add a 啊 or le 了 at the end to heighten emotion. Repeating an adjective doubles the impact, and starting with 哎 āi or 哇 wā signals a sudden reaction.
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adj + 啊 | 大啊 | so big! |
| Adj + 极了 | 甜极了 | extremely sweet! |
| Adj + Adj | 漂亮漂亮 | very pretty! |
| 哎 + Sentence + 呢 | 哎，你看呢！ | hey, look! |
| 哇 + Adj + 了 | 哇，真大了！ | wow, so big! |
Emphasizing Cause
To emphasize cause or reason in an exclamation, Mandarin uses patterns like 因为… 才… or zhēn 真 + adjective to highlight what led to the result. This makes the emotion feel grounded.
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| 因为 … 才 … | 因为努力，才成功！ | because of hard work, succeeded! |
| 真 + Adj | 真好吃！ | really delicious! |
| ...，才 ... | 天气好，才去的！ | went only because weather was good! |
| ...，所以 ... | 他早起，所以赢了！ | got up early, so won! |
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Summary
Exclamations in Mandarin rely on particles like āi 哎 and a 啊, set phrases for quick emotion, and patterns that double adjectives or add 极了 for intensity. Cause can be stressed with 因为… 才… and small tweaks make reactions feel natural and vivid.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025