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小不点儿 (xiǎo bù diǎn r) — a tiny tot; a very small child (also used for small objects affectionately)

Definition

An affectionate, colloquial way to call a very small child (or a tiny creature/thing). Tone is warm and endearing, stronger than 小孩 in cuteness, not used in formal writing.

noun
a tiny tota very small child (also used for small objects affectionately)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 小不点儿。
    Tā zhēn shì gè xiǎo bù diǎn r.
    He is really a little tot.
  • 小不点儿。
    Nà ge xiǎo bù diǎn r shì wǒ mèi mei de xiǎo hái.
    That little one is my younger sister's child.
  • 小不点儿，。
    Zhè me xiǎo de xiǎo bù diǎn r, zhēn kě ài.
    Such a little tot, really cute.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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
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