work chant; expression of sigh
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesinterjection
rhythmic chant during heavy manual labor
informalUsed to coordinate effort, maintain rhythm, and boost morale during group physical labor like pulling, lifting, or rowing. Often part of a call-and-response chant (号子).
Dà大
jiā家
yī一
qǐ起
yòng用
lì力
，
hāi欸
！
Everyone push together, heave-ho!
Chuán船
fū夫
men们
hǎn喊
zhe着
“
hāi欸
yō欸
”
hāi的
yō号
de子
hào划
zi船
。
The boatmen rowed while chanting the "heave-ho" work song.
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Jiā加
yóu油
gàn干
nà呐
，
hāi欸
！
Work harder, heave-ho!
Tā他
men们
káng扛
mù木
tou头
shí时
zhěng整
qí齐
de地
hǎn喊
zhe着
“
hāi欸
”
。
They chanted "heave-ho" in unison while carrying the log.