About
The character 儿, traditionally written as 兒, originated as a pictograph of an infant, with the upper part of the traditional form depicting the open fontanelles on a baby's head. The simplified form retains only the lower strokes, representing the child's legs. Its core meanings are son, youth, or small child. Beyond serving as a noun for offspring, 儿 functions extensively in northern Chinese dialects as a diminutive suffix, added to nouns to convey smallness, affection, or colloquial familiarity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的儿子五岁。
她有一个女儿。
这儿很漂亮。
儿童喜欢玩具。
小明在公园玩儿。
那个小男孩儿很聪明。
花儿在春天开放。
儿子和女儿都去上学了。