Chinese name character
Chinese name character 阿
ā
The character 阿 (Mandarin ā) appears in 12 names and 1 syllable in this reference and is spelled Ah in Malaysia. Recorded meanings include “name prefix”, “familiar prefix” and “familiar prefix used before names”.
- Names and syllables
- 13
- Malaysian spellings
- 1
- Strokes
- 8
- Attested in records
- 1
13 names and syllables in this reference have 阿 as one of their character options. For 1 of them, 阿 is attested in records of real names; the rest are possible characters for that spelling.
Meanings of 阿: the recorded options
name prefix
in 1 character options · attested
familiar prefix
in 13 character options
familiar prefix used before names
in 2 character options
prefix used in familiar terms of address
in 1 character options
familiar prefix before names
in 1 character options
Unihan definition: prefix for people's names; used in transliteration
What a name means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine; these are options, not one definite meaning.
Malaysian spellings of 阿
| Spelling | Romanization |
|---|---|
| Ah | Hokkien · Cantonese · Hakka +1 |
Readings of 阿 by dialect
Readings from the character options in our name records; Unihan gives Mandarin ā and Cantonese aa3.
12 names that can be written with 阿
1 syllables that can stand for 阿
Sources
- Wiktionary: 阿 · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- MDBG: 阿 · mdbg.net · meaning
- Unicode Unihan Database: U+963F · unicode.org · meaning
Readings, meanings and stroke count: the character options in our name records and the Unicode Unihan Database (Unicode License). A spelling describes how a name is written, not anyone’s dialect or background.
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Frequently asked questions
What does 阿 mean in a name?
Our records give several meanings for 阿, including “name prefix”, “familiar prefix”, “familiar prefix used before names”, “prefix used in familiar terms of address” and “familiar prefix before names”. What a name actually means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine.
How is 阿 spelled in Malaysia?
In our records 阿 is spelled Ah (Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew). A spelling follows a dialect’s romanization; it does not show which dialect anyone speaks.
Is every Ah written 阿?
Not necessarily. The spelling Ah can also stand for 亞, 亚. Only the family knows which character was chosen.