gua

Gua is a syllable used in several languages and systems, with different meanings depending on context. In Chinese, gua is the pinyin for several distinct characters with different tones and meanings.

One common character is 瓜, meaning melon or gourd. It appears in words like 西瓜 (watermelon) and 瓜果 (melons and fruits). The syllable can also correspond to 刮, meaning to scrape or to peel, as in 刮风 (the wind blows) or 刮痧 (gua sha, a traditional scraping therapy). Another is 挂, meaning to hang or to suspend, as in 把灯挂起来 (hang the lamp). Because pinyin omits tones in plain spelling, the same spelling gua can represent several different characters and pronunciations.

Gua sha, a term found in traditional East Asian medicine, uses the gua component meaning to scrape. The practice involves scraping the skin with a smooth edge to produce a red or purple mottled patch and is used in some cultures to purportedly improve circulation and relieve muscle tension. Clinicians and researchers have varying views on its efficacy and safety, and it is often discussed as part of complementary and alternative medicine.

GUA is also the IATA airport code for La Aurora International Airport, which serves Guatemala City in Guatemala. In other contexts, gua may appear as a syllable within names, transliterations, or compound terms across languages, with meanings that vary by script and culture.