嗟

As an interjection, it serves as an emotional marker for lamentation (sorrow or woe), regret and reproach (pity), or realization (the recognition of a hard truth). As a verb, it means to sigh or lament, typically used intransitively.

When placed in the initial position of a sentence, it sets the emotional key for the following discourse. In a medial position, it may mark a rhythmic pause, a break in thought, or hesitation.

Compared to other breath-sound markers: 嗚 (wū) is generally deeper and associated with wailing; 噫 (yī) is more ambiguous, potentially signaling relief, surprise, or disgust; 唉 (āi) is more common in colloquial or later registers, whereas 嗟 is the literary standard.

Fanqie reading: 子邪; Tang-period reading: *tzia.

Avoid over-translation; while "Alas!" is a standard gloss, it can introduce a melodramatic tone not present in the source. Depending on the register, this glyph may be more effectively rendered as a simple pause or a shift in tone.