你 (nǐ) — you (informal, singular)
Definition
Everyday 'you' for one person. Use 您 when you want to be polite (e.g. to elders, strangers, customers); 你们 is just 你 with the plural -们.
pronoun
you (informal, singular)
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 你？nǐ Shì xué shēng ma?Are you a student?
- 你。Wǒ rèn shi nǐ.I know you.
- 你？nǐ Xǐ huan māo ma?Do you like cats?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The left part 亻 is a person, and the right part 尔 supplies the sound.
Appears in
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