阿
prefix; endearing title; donkey-hide gelatin; flatter
Meanings
3 senses · 12 examplesprefix
endearing prefix for names/kin
informal, dialectCommon in northern Chinese dialects, used for casual, warm address
Everyone calls him A Da because he is the oldest son in the family.
A Bao is the lovely little grandson of the neighbor's family.
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A Tang is the most enthusiastic student in our class.
Grandma always calls A Po over to eat together.
Dad goes to the park for morning exercise every morning.
verb
to flatter; to curry favor with
formal, literaryFormal and literary usage, often used in negative contexts to criticize sycophancy
He never flatters others and sticks to his principles.
This official is upright and unbiased, deeply loved by the people.
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He always panders to others' preferences just to please his superiors.
People who curry favor with the powerful will eventually lose public support.
Faced with injustice, he chose to be upright and refused to compromise.
noun
large hill; curved mountain area
literary, archaicRare literary usage, mostly appears in classical Chinese texts or place names
The distant rolling hills are shrouded in mist, like a fairyland.
A curved area of this mountain hides an ancient village.