阿
ā
#471 most
frequent character
prefix used before monosyllabic names, kinship terms etc to indicate familiarity
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
阿 has a meaning part that pictures a series of hills, and 可 kě supplies the sound. Read ē, it first meant 'a high mound or mountain.' Read ā, the uses 'name prefix' and 'transliteration' were borrowed for their sound.
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