尖儿 (jiān ér) — tip, point; (figurative) the best or top (person or thing)

Definition

尖儿 (jiānr) is the colloquial, spoken noun meaning "tip" or "the very best" — used in everyday talk where written 尖 would feel stiff. Example: 拔尖儿 = top-notch.

noun
tippoint(figurative) the best or top (person or thing)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 尖儿。
    Zhè zhī bǐ de jiān ér hěn xì.
    The tip of this pen is very fine.
  • 尖儿。
    Shān jiān ér shàng yǒu hěn duō xuě.
    There is a lot of snow on the mountain peak.
  • 尖儿。
    Tā shì wǒ men bān de jiān ér.
    He is the top of our class.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

尖jiānpoint
儿érnoun ending

尖 names a sharp end, and 儿 gives the colloquial sense of its tip.

Characters in this word

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

尖 puts 小 (small) above 大 (large), showing the width of an object gradually changing from small to large.

Open 尖 →

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 →

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