proper name · prefix used before monosyllabic names or kinship terms to indicate familiarity

阿强，快过来吃饭！

abbreviation · abbreviation for country names beginning with 阿 ā, such as Algeria or Afghanistan

中阿关系正在稳步发展。

pronoun, place name · character used in the phonetic transliteration of foreign names and places

他的一个好朋友就出生在阿尔巴尼亚。

idiom · to flatter or curry favor with (literary)

他不愿阿其所好。