Meaning of 干活儿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- erhua variant of 幹活|干活[gan4 huo2]
How to use 干活儿
干活儿 is an everyday spoken way to say "to work" or "to do a job," often physical work or chores. It is a verb plus object, so you can put words in the middle. Example: 他在地里干活儿。(Tā zài dì li gànhuór.) He is working in the fields.
干 (gàn) means to do, and 活 (huó) is work, so 干活儿 is simply "doing work." The 儿 at the end is the northern habit of curling the tongue, as in 这儿 (zhèr) and 哪儿 (nǎr).
Common mistake: Learners often read 干 here as gān (dry). In 干活儿 it is fourth tone gàn, the same as in 干什么 (gàn shénme). Also, 儿 is not a separate syllable: say gànhuór, not gàn huó ér.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
干 gān · dry · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
活 huó · to live · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
儿 ér · son · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 干活儿.
| 这儿 | zhèr | here |
| 干什么 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? |
| 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 |
| 干净 | gānjìng | clean; neat |
| 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] |
Questions about 干活儿
What does 干活儿 mean?
干活儿 (gànhuór) means "erhua variant of 幹活|干活[gan4 huo2]".
How do you write 干活儿?
干活儿 is made of 3 characters: 干 (3 strokes), 活 (9 strokes), 儿 (2 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 干活儿 an HSK word?
Yes. 干活儿 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 干活儿 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 干活儿 is written 幹活兒.
What is the difference between 干活儿 and 工作?
工作 (gōngzuò) is the general word for a job or to work, and it fits formal or office contexts. 干活儿 is casual and often means hands-on work or chores. You would say 我在银行工作, not 我在银行干活儿, in most cases.
Do I have to say the 儿 in 干活儿?
No. 干活 (gànhuó) without 儿 means the same thing. The 儿 form sounds more northern and colloquial, especially in Beijing, while southern speakers usually drop it.