儿 meaning and stroke order
Son, child
How to write 儿, stroke by stroke
2 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
Meaning of 儿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- child
- son
- non-syllabic diminutive suffix
- retroflex final
How 儿 is built
Pictographic character. Simplified form of 兒, a picture of a child; compare 人.
How to remember 儿
儿 (ér) is the simplified form of 兒, a picture of a child. Think of the two strokes 丿 and 乚 as a small child's two legs, walking along, a little like 人 (rén, person) but younger and smaller.
As a word on its own, 儿 means son or child, and it appears in family words like 儿子 (érzi, son) and 女儿 (nǚ'ér, daughter). It is also very common as the suffix -r, especially in northern speech, in words like 这儿 (zhèr), 那儿 (nàr) and 哪儿 (nǎr). Example: 你去哪儿？(Nǐ qù nǎr?) Where are you going?
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 儿 with 几 (jǐ, how many). 几 has a flat top stroke joining the two sides, while 儿 has two separate strokes with no top. Also, in 这儿 or 一点儿, do not read 儿 as a full extra syllable ér. It just adds an r sound to the end of the previous syllable.
Common words with 儿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这儿 | zhèr | here | HSK 1 |
| 儿子 | érzi | son | HSK 1 |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere | HSK 1 |
| 女儿 | nǚ'ér | daughter | HSK 1 |
| 那儿 | nàr | there | HSK 1 |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while | HSK 1 |
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work | HSK 1 |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] | HSK 1 |
| 女孩儿 | nǚháir | erhua form of 女孩[nu : 3 hai2] | HSK 1 |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] | HSK 1 |
| 玩儿 | wánr | to play; to have fun | HSK 1 |
| 小孩儿 | xiǎoháir | erhua variant of 小孩[xiao3 hai2] | HSK 1 |
| 男孩儿 | nánháir | erhua form of 男孩[nan2 hai2] | HSK 1 |
| 好玩儿 | hǎowánr | erhua variant of 好玩[hao3 wan2] | HSK 1 |
儿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 儿
Learning 儿 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 儿
How many strokes are in 儿?
儿 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 儿 mean?
儿 (ér) means son, child. A common word with it is 这儿 (zhèr), meaning "here".
How do you pronounce 儿?
儿 is pronounced ér, in the second tone (rising).
What is the traditional form of 儿?
The traditional form of 儿 is 兒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 儿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 儿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 儿 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Do I have to add 儿 to words like 这 and 哪?
No. 这里 (zhèlǐ) and 哪里 (nǎlǐ) mean the same as 这儿 and 哪儿. The 儿 forms are typical of Beijing and northern speech, while many southern speakers and Taiwan prefer 里 forms.
Does 儿子 only mean son, or can it mean child in general?
儿子 (érzi) specifically means son. For a daughter you say 女儿 (nǚ'ér), and for children in general you usually say 孩子 (háizi) or 儿女 (érnǚ, sons and daughters).