倪

ní

亻 + 兒

Definitions

ní (noun) limit; bound; extremity

ní (verb) to differentiate

ní (noun) origin; cause

Etymology

A young child 兒

About

倪 (ní) is a phono-semantic compound: the person radical 亻 on the left gives a human context, while the right-side component 兒 (ér, 'child') provides the sound and adds semantic overtones of childhood. Originally, it denoted a small child, an infant, or the weakness and youthfulness associated with early life. Over time, the meaning expanded beyond literal childhood to include beginnings, origins, limits, and boundaries, and it is often used in classical texts to indicate a starting point or edge of abstract concepts or natural phenomena.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

倪老师教我们数学。

Ní lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen shùxué.

Teacher Ni teaches us math.

倪华是我的好朋友。

Ní Huá shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou.

Ni Hua is my good friend.

我们找到了事件的端倪。

Wǒmen zhǎodào le shìjiàn de duānní.

We found a clue to the incident.

从这句话中看出端倪。

Cóng zhè jù huà zhōng kànchū duānní.

From this sentence, we can see a clue.

倪先生正在研究这个问题。

Ní xiānsheng zhèngzài yánjiū zhège wèntí.

Mr. Ni is studying this problem.

警方已经掌握了案件的端倪。

Jǐngfāng yǐjīng zhǎngwò le ànjiàn de duānní.

The police have already grasped clues to the case.

通过仔细分析，端倪逐渐显现。

Tōngguò zǐxì fēnxī, duānní zhújiàn xiǎnxiàn.

Through careful analysis, clues gradually appear.

倪教授在学术上有很深的造诣。

Ní jiàoshòu zài xuéshù shàng yǒu hěn shēn de zàoyì.

Professor Ni has profound accomplishments in academia.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 兒

倪