Definition
哉 (zāi) is a classical Chinese particle that appears at the end of a sentence or clause. It adds an exclamatory tone (like 'how…!' or 'indeed') or forms a rhetorical question. In modern Chinese, it is rarely used outside of fixed expressions, literary texts, or chengyu (set phrases). Treat it as a marker of elevated or classical register.
b.f.
(literary particle, sentence-final) expresses exclamation or rhetorical interrogation
Examples
- 哉!bú yì kuài zāi!Isn't it delightful!
- 哉,!měi zāi, qīngshān lǜshuǐ!How beautiful the green mountains and clear waters are!
- 哉?qǐ fēi tiān zāi?Is it not fate?
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