唵

唵 U+5535, 唵 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5535 ← 唴 [U+5534] CJK Unified Ideographs 唶 → [U+5536]

Translingual

Han character

唵 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 口大中山 (RKLU), four-corner 6401₆, composition ⿰口奄)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 193, character 27
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3770
• Dae Jaweon: page 414, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 638, character 14
• Unihan data for U+5535

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (奄) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
庵	*qoːm, *qoːb
鵪	*qoːm
菴	*qoːm, *qrom
馣	*qoːm
晻	*qoːmʔ, *qromʔ
唵	*qoːmʔ
黤	*qoːmʔ, *qraːmʔ
埯	*qaːmʔ, *qomʔ
淹	*qroːm, *qrom, *qom, *qoms
閹	*qrom, *qromʔ
崦	*qrom
醃	*qrom, *qom
掩	*qromʔ
奄	*qromʔ
罨	*qromʔ, *qoːb, *qob
裺	*qromʔ, *qoms
俺	*qromʔ, *qoms
腌	*qom, *qrob, *qob
殗	*qob
餣	*qob

Etymology 1

trad.		唵
simp. #		唵

Schuessler (2007) suggests that this is an endoactive derivation from 喑 (OC *qɯːm, “mute; silent”).

Ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-ʔum ~ *mum (“to hold in mouth; to chew; to eat; to kiss”); compare Tibetan ཨུམ (um, “kiss”) (STEDT; Benedict, 1972; Coblin, 1986; Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ǎn (an³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): am²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ǎn
    • Wade–Giles: an³
    • Yale: ǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: aan
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: am²
    • Yale: ám
    • Cantonese Pinyin: am²
    • Guangdong Romanization: em²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɐm³⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

---

• Middle Chinese: 'omX

Rime
Character	唵
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏感切
Baxter	'omX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʌmX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔəmX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɒmX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔəmX/
Li Rong	/ʔᴀmX/
Wang Li	/ɒmX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔămX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	am2

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*qoːmʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	唵
Reading #	1/1
No.	14333
Phonetic component	奄
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	晻
Old Chinese	/*qoːmʔ/

Definitions

唵

1. (obsolete, rare) to hold in one's mouth
2. to eat with one's hand

Etymology 2

trad.		唵
simp. #		唵

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit ॐ (oṃ).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ǎn, ōng (an³, ong¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˇ, ㄛㄫ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ǎn
    • Wade–Giles: an³
    • Yale: ǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: aan
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän²¹⁴/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄛㄫ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ong
    • Wade–Giles: ung¹
    • Yale: ūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ong
    • Palladius: ун (un)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀʊŋ⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'omX

Rime
Character	唵
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏感切
Baxter	'omX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʌmX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔəmX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɒmX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔəmX/
Li Rong	/ʔᴀmX/
Wang Li	/ɒmX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔămX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	am2

Definitions

唵

1. (Buddhism) om, aum

   Synonym: 嗡

Compounds

• 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 (ǎn mānī bēimēi hōng)

Etymology 3

trad.		唵
simp. #		唵

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ǎn (an³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): am²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ǎn
    • Wade–Giles: an³
    • Yale: ǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: aan
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: am²
    • Yale: ám
    • Cantonese Pinyin: am²
    • Guangdong Romanization: em²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɐm³⁵/

Note: The zero initial /∅-/ is commonly pronounced with a ng-initial /ŋ-/ in some varieties of Cantonese, including Hong Kong Cantonese.

Definitions

唵

1. An interjection indicating doubt: um

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ǎn, ān (an³, an¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˇ, ㄢ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ǎn
    • Wade–Giles: an³
    • Yale: ǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: aan
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän²¹⁴/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ān
    • Zhuyin: ㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: an
    • Wade–Giles: an¹
    • Yale: ān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: an
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän⁵⁵/

Definitions

唵

1. An interjection indicating response: mhm; uh-huh

Etymology 4

trad.		唵
simp. #		唵
alternative forms		食

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ām / âm

---

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ām
    • Tâi-lô: ām
    • Phofsit Daibuun: am
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /am²²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /am³³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âm
    • Tâi-lô: âm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: aam
    • IPA (Taipei): /am²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /am²³/

Definitions

唵

1. (Hokkien, childish) to eat

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 吃 (“to eat”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		食1
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		吃
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	吃
	Taiwan	吃
	Harbin	吃, 𠯪
	Malaysia	吃
	Singapore	吃
	Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	吃
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	吃
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	吃
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	吃
	Xi'an	吃
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	吃
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	吃
	Chongqing	吃
	Wuhan	吃
	Guilin	吃, 𠯪 dated
	Liuzhou	吃
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	吃
	Yangzhou	吃
	Hefei	吃
Cantonese	Guangzhou	食1, 吃
	Hong Kong	食1, 吃
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	吃
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	吃
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	食1
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	食1
	Macau	食1
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	食1
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	食1
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	食1
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	食1
	Foshan	食1
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	食1
	Foshan (Shunde)	食1
	Foshan (Sanshui)	食1
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	吃
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	吃
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	吃
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	吃
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	吃
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	食1
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	吃
	Taishan	吃
	Kaiping (Chikan)	吃
	Enping (Niujiang)	吃
	Heshan (Yayao)	食1
	Dongguan	食1
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	食1
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	食1
	Qingyuan	食1
	Fogang	食1
	Yingde (Hanguang)	食1
	Yangshan	吃
	Lianshan (Butian)	吃
	Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui)	吃
	Shaoguan	食1
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	食1
	Renhua	食1
	Lechang	食1
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	吃
	Sihui	吃
	Guangning	吃
	Deqing	吃
	Huaiji	吃
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	吃
	Yunfu	食1
	Xinxing	吃
	Luoding	食1
	Yunan (Pingtai)	吃
	Yangjiang	吃
	Xinyi	食1
	Maoming (Xinpo)	食1
	Lianjiang	食1
	Wuchuan (Wuyang)	吃
	Nanning	食1
	Wuzhou	食1
	Yulin	吃
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	吃
	Hepu (Shatian)	吃
	Guiping	食1
	Mengshan (Xihe)	吃
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	吃
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	吃
	Baise	吃
Bobai	吃
Lingshan	吃
Pubei	吃
Qinzhou	食1
Qinzhou (Xiniujiao)	吃
Beihai	食1
Beihai (Nankang)	食1
Beihai (Yingpan)	吃, 食1
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	食1
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	食1
Ningming	食1
Hengzhou	吃
Hezhou (Pumen, Babu)	吃
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	食1
Danzhou	吃
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	食1
Penang (Guangfu)	食1
Singapore (Guangfu)	食1
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	食1
Móng Cái	食1
Gan	Nanchang	吃
	Pingxiang	吃
Hakka	Meixian	食1
	Xingning	食1
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	食1
	Huiyang	食1
	Huidong (Daling)	食1
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	食1
	Boluo (Bendihua)	食1
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	食1
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	食1
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	食1
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	食1
	Wuhua (Meilin)	食1
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	食1
	Zijin	食1
	Longchuan (Tuocheng; Bendihua)	食1
	Heping (Linzhai; Bendihua)	食1
	Lianping (Longjie; Bendihua)	食1
	Wengyuan	食1
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	食1
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	食1
	Liannan	食1
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	食1
	Jiexi	食1
	Luhe	食1
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	食1
	Changting	食1
	Wuping	食1
	Wuping (Yanqian)	食1
	Wuping (Pingyu)	食1
	Liancheng	食1
	Ninghua	食1
	Yudu	食1
	Ruijin	食1
	Shicheng	食1
	Shangyou (Shexi)	食1
	Tonggu (Sandu)	食1
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	食1
	Dayu	食1
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	食1
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	食1
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	食1
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	食1
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	食1
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	食1
	Hong Kong	食1
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	食1
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	食1
	Xinyi (Sihe)	食1
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	食1
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	食1
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	食1
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	食1
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	食1
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	食1
	Mengshan (Xihe)	食1
	Luchuan	食1
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	食1
	Beiliu (Tang'an)	食1
	Mashan (Pianlian)	食1
	Senai (Huiyang)	食1
	Kuching (Hepo)	食1
	Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)	食1
	Singapore (Meixian)	食1
	Singapore (Dabu)	食1
Huizhou	Jixi	吃
Jin	Taiyuan	吃
Northern Min	Jian'ou	饁
	Songxi	饁
	Zhenghe	饁
	Jianyang	饁
	Wuyishan	饁
	Pucheng (Shibei)	饁
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	食3
	Fuzhou (Changle)	食3
	Fuqing	食3
	Yongtai	食3
	Gutian	食3
	Fu'an	食3
	Ningde	食3
	Shouning	食3
	Zhouning	食3
	Fuding	食3
	Matsu	食3
	Singapore (Fuqing)	食3
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	食3
Southern Min	Xiamen	食3, 捋 slang, 唵 childish
	Quanzhou	食3, 煰, 捋 slang
	Jinjiang	食3
	Yongchun	食3
	Zhangzhou	食3, 捋 slang, 唵 childish
	Zhao'an	食3
	Taipei	食3
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	食3
	Kaohsiung	食3
	Yilan	食3
	Changhua (Lukang)	食3
	Taichung	食3
	Tainan	食3
	Hsinchu	食3
	Kinmen	食3
	Penghu (Magong)	食3
	Penang (Hokkien)	食3
	Singapore (Hokkien)	食3
	Manila (Hokkien)	食3, 唵唵 childish
	Medan (Hokkien)	食3
	Longyan	食3
	Zhangping	食3
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	食3
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	食3
	Chaozhou	食3
	Shantou	食3
	Shantou (Chenghai)	食3
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	食3
	Jieyang	食3
	Haifeng	食3
	Bangkok (Teochew)	食3
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	食3
	Singapore (Teochew)	食3
	Batam (Teochew)	食3
	Pontianak (Teochew)	食3
	Wenchang	食3
	Haikou	食3
	Qionghai	食3
	Singapore (Hainanese)	食3
Puxian Min	Putian	食3
	Xianyou	食3
Central Min	Yong'an	饁
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	吃
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	食3
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	吃
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	吃
Wu	Shanghai	吃
	Shanghai (Chongming)	吃
	Suzhou	吃
	Hangzhou	吃
	Wenzhou	吃
	Jinhua	吃
Xiang	Changsha	吃
	Loudi	吃
	Shuangfeng	吃

Descendants

• ⇒ Cebuano: am-am

Etymology 5

trad.		唵
simp. #		唵

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ǎn (an³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˇ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ǎn
    • Wade–Giles: an³
    • Yale: ǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: aan
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän²¹⁴/

Definitions

唵

1. Used in compounds.

Compounds

• 唵噆

References

• “唵”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–