← All 37 symbols
ㄚa
ㄚ — the bopomofo symbol for a
ㄚ is one of the 37 zhuyin symbols used to write Mandarin pronunciation in Taiwan. It is a final, written a in pinyin and pronounced [a]. Like the a in "father".
- Pinyin
- a
- IPA
- [a]
- Called
- a
- Type
- Simple finals
How to say it
Mouth wide open, tongue flat and low. The most open vowel in Mandarin.
Closest English soundLike the a in "father".
Where the symbol comes from
丫
yā · a fork, a branching
→ ㄚ
Directly from 丫 (yā) — a forked branch, with the stem shortened.
In a word
爸
ㄅㄚˋ
bà
Dad
Do not mix it up with
Typing it
On the standard Taiwanese zhuyin keyboard, ㄚ sits on the 8 key.