Han character 叫

In Mandarin, 叫 can mean “call,” “shout,” or “be called”; nearby words settle it. 我叫 a name introduces the speaker, while 叫他来 means “tell him to come” or “call him over.” Japanese also uses 叫 in 叫ぶ, a verb for shouting, but in a different word and grammar.

Text symbol

What 叫 means

“Call,” “shout,” or “be called”—the sentence decides.

The Han-era Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese dictionary, explains 叫 as a shout. In its analysis, 口 marks speech and 丩 supplies the sound. In Mandarin, 叫 also introduces a name, summons someone, or tells them to act.

Is 叫 Chinese or Japanese?

It is used in both, but the surrounding words work differently. Japanese 叫ぶ is a verb meaning “shout” or “cry out”; it is a different word and grammatical use from Mandarin 叫.

With 叫 a person an action, the speaker can sound as if they are giving an order.

Who writes 叫

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What it means when someone sends it to you

2 readings

“I’m called …”: the speaker is introducing themself.

Questions people ask

Why does 叫 show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.