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男儿 (nán ér) — a man (with stress on manly qualities, often in literary or formal contexts); a boy; a son (less common than 儿子)

Definition

Literary/formal word for 'man', stressing manly qualities like courage and resolve (男儿有泪不轻弹). Unlike 儿子, which just means 'son', 男儿 often appears in set phrases about manhood, not daily family talk.

noun
a man (with stress on manly qualities, often in literary or formal contexts)a boya son (less common than 儿子)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 男儿。
    nán ér Yǒu lèi bù qīng tán.
    A man doesn't easily shed tears.
  • 男儿。
    Zhè ge nán ér cóng xiǎo jiù hěn yǒu zhì qì.
    This boy has been ambitious since childhood.
  • 男儿，。
    Tā jiā yǒu sān gè nán ér, dōu hěn xiào shùn.
    His family has three sons, all very filial.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

男nánmale
儿érchild

男 “male” + 儿 “child” can mean a son or a man.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

男 is made from 田, a field, and 力, strength. It shows a man working with strength in a field.

Open 男 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →
Appears in
People (General)

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