耶
(phonetic ye); interrogative particle (classical); final particle indicating enthusiasm etc
Closest English meanings
(particle)·yea·Jesus
The Calligrapher — Hè Zhīzhāng 贺知章
Tang poet-calligrapher celebrated for his cursive inscriptions.
Tang calligrapher (659–744), master of cursive script — known for 《孝经》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
In classical prose 耶 was the soft interrogative ending a question — real or false? — the particle of doubt and wonder in Tang songs and mourning laments. Missionaries of the Tang and again the Ming borrowed the sound to transliterate Jesus, so the faintest question mark of the old language became the anchor of a new vocabulary of faith.
Common words & phrases
- 耶稣 Jesus
- 耶路撒冷 Jerusalem
Read the story behind the character
The particle survives only in period dramas, where a court lady sighs a trembling question — but the transliteration thrives. A church newsletter prints 耶稣 (Jesus) above the service times and pins 耶路撒冷 (Jerusalem) on the parish map for the pilgrimage tour; a travel agent writes the city's characters without a second thought, and grammar teachers still cite 耶 as the question mark of the ancients.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Hè Zhīzhāng 贺知章, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.