Breath-and-Wind Character

Mandarin reads 颬 xiā; Cantonese reads 𱃕 haa1.

A 2026 lexicon entry records 扯𱃕 as an alternate written form of 扯蝦, pronounced ce2 haa1 in Jyutping (a way to write Cantonese sounds). The slang describes a sharp wheezing sound during asthma or breathing trouble.

Where does 颬 appear in older writing?

Zhang Heng used 颬颬 in a work from China’s Eastern Han dynasty.

His Rhapsody on the Western Capital is a long description of the old capital’s entertainments. It places 颬颬 beside a mythical creature transforming into a celestial carriage; dictionaries gloss the doubled form as open-mouth breathing and 颬 as a wind sound.