汝 (rǔ) — (literary) you (second-person pronoun)

Definition

汝 (rǔ) is a literary, archaic second-person pronoun — used in classical-style writing and poetry instead of 你. It only appears in set phrases, never in everyday speech.

bound form
(literary) you (second-person pronoun)

Examples

  • 汝。
    rǔ Děng yìng nǔ lì qiú xué.
    You all should study diligently.
  • 汝?。
    rǔ Xīn rú hé? wǒ yǐ zhī xiǎo.
    How is your heart? I already know.
  • 汝,。
    rǔ Suī nián yòu, zhì qì bù xiǎo.
    Though you are young, your ambition is not small.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐriver; water
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ汝rǔ
Same sound today

The shape 汝 combines 水 (river; water) with 女, which gives its sound.

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