聂 (niè) – Word of the Day | Toronto Chinese Academy
Learn the Mandarin word “聂 (niè)” — meaning to whisper or a surname. Includes pinyin, English definitions, example sentences, compounds, and visually similar characters.
Simplified： 聂
Pinyin： niè
Traditional： 聶
to whisper
surname “Niè”
Examples:
1,
他在我耳边低声聂语。
He whispered softly in my ear.
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2,
聂是一个常见的中国姓氏。
“Niè” is a common Chinese surname.
Visually Similar / Easily Confused Characters
At Toronto Chinese Academy, we explain that 聂 originally shows three “ears” stacked, symbolizing closeness to the ear and thus the action of whispering. Today, it’s used both literally (whispering) and as a Chinese family name.