Meaning of 个儿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- size
- height
- stature
How to use 个儿
个儿 is a casual, spoken word, especially common in northern Chinese, for how tall a person is or how big something is. It often appears with 高 (gāo) or 大 (dà). Example: 他个儿很高。(Tā gèr hěn gāo.) He is very tall.
个 (gè) is the everyday measure word for counting things. Add the little 儿 (r) sound and 个儿 (gèr) becomes the "count" of a person or thing itself, meaning its size or height.
Common mistake: Learners often read 个儿 as two syllables, gè ér, but the 儿 merges into the first syllable as a single sound, gèr. Also keep the fourth tone on gè. Do not drop it to the neutral tone the way it is in 一个 (yí ge).
个儿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
个 gè · classifier used before a noun that has … · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
儿 ér · son · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 个儿.
| 这儿 | zhèr | here |
| 儿子 | érzi | son |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere |
| 女儿 | nǚ'ér | daughter |
| 那儿 | nàr | there |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 女孩儿 | nǚháir | erhua form of 女孩[nu : 3 hai2] |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] |
| 玩儿 | wánr | to play; to have fun |
| 小孩儿 | xiǎoháir | erhua variant of 小孩[xiao3 hai2] |
Questions about 个儿
What does 个儿 mean?
个儿 (gèr) means "size; height" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 个儿?
个儿 is made of 2 characters: 个 (3 strokes), 儿 (2 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 个儿 an HSK word?
Yes. 个儿 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 个儿 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 个儿 is written 個兒.
What is the difference between 个儿 and 个子?
Both can mean a person's height or build, as in 个子高 (gèzi gāo) and 个儿高 (gèr gāo). 个子 is more neutral and widely used across regions. 个儿 has a more colloquial, northern flavor and can also describe the size of objects, like fruit.
Can 个儿 describe things, not just people?
Yes. You can say 这个西瓜个儿很大 (zhège xīguā gèr hěn dà), this watermelon is very big. It works for fruit, animals, and other objects whose size you notice.