Definition
呜呜 is an onomatopoeia that typically represents the sound of someone crying or sobbing (soft, drawn-out cries), similar to 'boohoo' in English. It can also mimic the sound of a horn, siren, or wind blowing — a deep, sustained wail. You'll see it as a standalone sound or reduplicated in 呜呜呜 for emphasis. Context tells you whether it's a person crying or a vehicle/toy making noise.
onomatopoeia
the sound of sobbing or cryingthe sound of a hornsirenor wind
Examples
- 呜呜呜呜，。Háizi kū de wū wū wū wū de, zěnme yě tíng bù xiàlái.The child was crying boohoo and wouldn't stop.
- 呜呜呜呜。Yuǎnchù chuánlái jǐngchē wū wū wū wū de shēngyīn.From a distance came the sound of a police car's siren.
- 呜呜呜呜，。Fēng guā de wū wū wū wū xiǎng, chuānghu dōu zài dǒu.The wind was howling, making the windows shake.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.