儿 (ér) — child; youth; son
Definition
儿 (ér) is a bound form meaning 'child/son' that only appears inside compounds like 儿子, 女儿, and 儿童. It never stands alone as a word — always read 儿 within a longer word, never as a standalone noun.
bound form
childyouthson
Examples
- 。Zhè ge ér zi hěn cōng ming.This son is very smart.
- 。Tā yǒu sān gè ér nǚ.He has three children.
- 。ér Tóng shì zǔ guó de wèi lái.Children are the future of the motherland.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA 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.
Appears in
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