兒

See also: 児, 儿, 皃, 兇, and 囟

兒 U+5152, 兒 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5152 ← 兑 [U+5151] CJK Unified Ideographs 兓 → [U+5153]

Translingual

Traditional	兒
Shinjitai	児
Simplified	儿

Han character

兒 (Kangxi radical 10, 儿+6, 8 strokes, cangjie input 竹難竹山 (HXHU), four-corner 7721₇, composition ⿱臼儿)

Derived characters

• 倪, 唲, 堄, 婗, 𡸣, 𢏱, 掜, 淣, 猊, 𨺙, 晲, 棿, 𤊓, 𤦤, 𫀗, 腉, 𮍩, 𤾆, 睨, 𥓋, 䘽, 𭘉, 䋩, 䍲, 聣, 𦩊, 蜺, 𦦃, 觬, 誽(𰵵), 貎, 輗(𫐐), 𫒪, 𠆔, 𰃓, 䮘, 𩩢, 鯢(鲵), 鶃(𱊄), 𪕨, 齯(𫠜), 𦦿
• 𫐰, 𡮅, 郳, 𫻻, 㪒, 𣣉, 𧡎, 鶂(𱊈/𬷼), 𠓔, 𡥲, 𬎸, 𠒰, 𭀹, 𡸢, 萖, 𦋌, 𤾇, 𮅙, 𠒯, 𮍜, 霓, 𪓬(𱌅), 𠩫, 𭙢, 𤷅, 麑, 䦧(阋), 鬩

Related characters

• 児 (Japanese shinjitai, also a variant form)
• 儿 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 125, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1365
• Dae Jaweon: page 265, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 272, character 5
• Unihan data for U+5152

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 兒
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j20471 j20472 j20473 j20474 j20475 j20476 j20477 j20478 j20479 j20480 j20481 j20482 j20483 j20484 j20485 j20486 j20487 j20488 j20489 j20490 j20491 j20492 j20493 j20494 j20495 j20496 j20497 j20498 j20499 j20500 j20501 j20502 j20503 j20504 j20505 j20506 j20507 j20508 j20509 j20510 j20511 j20512 j20513 j20514 j20515 j20516 j20517 j20518 j20519 Bronze inscriptions b13458 b13459 b13460 b13461 b13462 b13463 b13464 b13465 b13466 b13467 Small seal script s06201 Transcribed ancient scripts L30087 L30088 L30089 L30090 L30091 L01143 L01144 L01145 L01146 L01147 L01148 L01149 L01150 L01151
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (兒) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
掜	*rŋeː, *ŋeːʔ
誽	*rŋeː
倪	*ŋeː
蜺	*ŋeː, *ŋeː
霓	*ŋeː, *ŋeːs, *ŋeː
郳	*ŋeː
齯	*ŋeː
婗	*ŋeː
輗	*ŋeː
棿	*ŋeː
猊	*ŋeː
麑	*ŋeː
貎	*ŋeː
鯢	*ŋeː
兒	*ŋeː, *ŋje
觬	*ŋeː, *ŋeːʔ
堄	*ŋeːʔ, *ŋeːs
晲	*ŋeːʔ
睨	*ŋeːs
唲	*ŋje
隉	*ŋeːd
鶂	*ŋeːɡ
鬩	*ɦŋeːɡ

Pictogram (象形) : an infant with an imperfect cranium (i.e. fontanelle).

Etymology 1

trad.		兒
simp.		儿*
alternative forms		児 𠒇 𫤘

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-ŋa-j (“small; inferior; offspring”) (STEDT). Cognate with Burmese ငယ် (ngai, “little; young”), Jingpho shangai (ʃă³¹ ŋai³¹, “to give birth”).

According to Schuessler (2007), it may be an area word; compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ŋa(i)k (“baby”), Proto-Bahnaric *ŋaː (“baby”), Khmer ង៉ា (ngaa, “infant; baby”). The word is also cognate with 倪 (OC *ŋeː, “small and weak”). 伢 is the southern dialectal form of 兒 (MC nye, “child; son”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): ér (er²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄦˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): er²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): эр (er, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ji⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngei³

• Gan (Wiktionary): eo⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yì

  (Meixian, Guangdong): yi²

• Jin (Wiktionary): er¹
• Northern Min (KCR): ě̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): niè / ì
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): lî / jî

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ri⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶gni; ⁶ng; ⁶gher
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): e²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ér
    • Zhuyin: ㄦˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ér
    • Wade–Giles: êrh²
    • Yale: ér
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: erl
    • Palladius: эр (er)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɤɻ³⁵/

Note: Pronounced as '-r' in the suffix sense, merging with the previous syllable.

• • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: er²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: r
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɚ²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: эр (er, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɛɻ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ji⁴
    • Yale: yìh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡei²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: eo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɵ³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yì
    • Hakka Romanization System: iˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi²
    • Sinological IPA: /i¹¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yì
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)iˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi²
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: yi²
    • Sinological IPA: /i¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: er¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /əɻ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ě̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /œ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: niè / ì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nˡie⁵³/, /i⁵³/

Note:

• niè - vernacular (often written as 伲);
• literary - literary.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lî
    • Tâi-lô: lî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lii
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei): /li²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jî
    • Tâi-lô: jî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: jii
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /d͡zi¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /zi²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ri⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jî
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡zi⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶gni; ⁶ng; ⁶gher
    • MiniDict: nyi^去; ng^去; r^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³nyi; ³hhngg; ³hher
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /n̠ʲi²³/, /ŋ̍²³/, /ɦəl²³/

Note:

• 3nyi, 3hhngg - vernacular;
• 3hher - literary.

• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: e²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɤ̞¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: nye

Rime
Character	兒
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	汝移切
Baxter	nye
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵiə̆/
Li Rong	/ȵie/
Wang Li	/ȵʑǐe/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȵʑie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ér
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ji4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋe/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋje/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	兒
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	ér
Middle Chinese	‹ nye ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋe/
English	child
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	兒
Reading #	2/2
No.	2757
Phonetic component	兒
Rime group	支
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	兒
Old Chinese	/*ŋje/

Definitions

兒

1. (now in compounds) child

   兒童／儿童  ―  értóng  ―  child

   嬰兒／婴儿  ―  yīng'ér  ―  infant child; baby

2. one's own child; son

   兒孫／儿孙  ―  érsūn  ―  child(ren) and grandchild(ren)

   妻兒／妻儿  ―  qī'ér  ―  wife and child(ren)

   一兒一女／一儿一女  ―  yī ér yī nǚ  ―  one son and one daughter

3. (now in compounds) (male) adolescent

   健兒／健儿  ―  jiàn'ér  ―  good athlete

   • 遂習宮中女，皆如馬上兒。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     遂习宫中女，皆如马上儿。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 白居易 (Bai Juyi), 《雜興三首》

     Suì xí gōngzhōng nǚ, jiē rú mǎ shàng ér. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (attributive, of animals) male

   兒馬／儿马  ―  érmǎ  ―  male horse

5. Non-syllabic noun diminutive suffix.

   盆兒／盆儿  ―  pénr  ―  small basin

   小狗兒／小狗儿  ―  xiǎogǒur  ―  puppy

6. Suffix after nouns that does not indicate diminutiveness.

   味兒／味儿  ―  wèir  ―  taste

   汁兒／汁儿  ―  zhīr  ―  juice

   電影兒／电影儿  ―  diànyǐngr  ―  film

7. Suffix added to some verbs or adjectives to form nouns.

   吃兒／吃儿  ―  chīr  ―  food; something to eat

   亮兒／亮儿  ―  liàngr  ―  light

   尖兒／尖儿  ―  jiānr  ―  tip

   短兒／短儿  ―  duǎnr  ―  fault

8. Suffix after a limited number of verbs.

   玩兒／玩儿  ―  wánr  ―  to play

   火兒／火儿  ―  huǒr  ―  to be angry

9. Suffix after certain nouns that result in a different meaning from the unsuffixed form.

   頭兒／头儿  ―  tóur  ―  chief; leader

   白麵兒／白面儿  ―  báimiànr  ―  heroin

   老家兒／老家儿  ―  lǎojiār  ―  one's elders

10. Suffix after reduplicated adjectives.

    慢慢兒／慢慢儿  ―  mànmānr  ―  slowly

Usage notes

• 儿 may be used to specially write erhua (or the rhotic sound) in traditional Chinese, in contrast with 兒／儿 (ér, “child”).
  • 1950, 林濤 (Lin Tao), 定型化新文字 [Dingshinghua Sin Wenz], 2nd edition, 生活·讀書·新知三聯書店:

    有人把拉丁化新文字的方案跟寫法看做神聖不可侵犯的東西，不准有一點儿改變 […]

    There are some who believe that the Latinxua Sin Wenz scheme and spelling are sacred things that should not be violated, and that there must not be even the tiniest bit of change […]

    r念“儿”只有“兒”“二”“而”這幾個字 […]

    When r is read as 儿, the only candidates are "child", "two", and "and" […]

• 儿 may be written as a smaller character.
  • 1968, 趙元任 (Yuen Ren Chao), 語言問題 [Problems in Linguistics], 臺灣商務印書館, page 83:

    固然平常念一個單字的時候，重音的音節在樂音上也是高一點儿，不過它不一定老是這個樣子。

    Admittedly, when pronouncing a word, the stressed syllable is, musically speaking, also a bit higher-pitched, but this is not necessarily always the case.

  • 2001, 中華人民共和國教育部, 國家語言文字工作委員會, 第一批異形詞整理表 [The First Series of Standardized Forms of Words with Non-standardized Variant Forms]‎^[1], archived from the original on 3 August 2019, page 11:

    红果儿（红*菓儿） hóngguǒr

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 兒子 (“son”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		子, 兒, 男兒
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		兒子, 男孩, 男孩子
Mandarin	Beijing	兒子, 小子
	Taiwan	兒子
	Tianjin	兒子, 小子, 少的
	Chengde	小子
	Tangshan	兒子, 小子
	Cangzhou	兒子, 小子
	Baoding	兒子, 小子
	Shijiazhuang	兒得
	Chifeng	兒子, 小子
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	兒子
	Heihe	兒子, 小子
	Qiqihar	兒子, 小子
	Harbin	兒子, 小子
	Jiamusi	兒子, 小子
	Baicheng	兒子, 小子
	Changchun	兒子
	Tonghua	兒子, 小子
	Shenyang	兒子, 小子
	Dandong	兒子, 小子
	Jinzhou	兒子, 小子
	Dalian	兒子
	Yantai	小子
	Yantai (Muping)	兒郎, 兒
	Qingdao	兒
	Lijin	兒, 小廝
	Weifang (Weicheng)	兒
	Weifang (Fangzi)	兒
	Weifang (Hanting)	兒
	Changyi	兒
	Gaomi	兒
	Zhucheng	兒
	Anqiu	兒
	Changle	兒
	Linqu	兒
	Qingzhou	兒
	Shouguang	兒
	Wulian	小兒
	Jinan	兒, 兒子, 小子
	Jining	兒, 兒子
	Luoyang	兒子
	Wanrong	娃, 兒
	Shangqiu	兒得
	Yuanyang	兒子, 小子
	Zhengzhou	孩兒, 小子
	Lingbao	兒子
	Xinyang	兒
	Baihe	兒子
	Hanzhong	兒子
	Xi'an	兒, 兒子
	Baoji	兒
	Yinchuan	兒子
	Tianshui	兒子, 後人
	Lanzhou	兒子, 後人
	Dunhuang	娃子
	Xining	兒子, 娃娃, 尕娃
	Hami	兒子
	Ürümqi	兒子
	Wuhan	兒子
	Huanggang	兒
	Yichang	兒子, 小鬼
	Xiangyang	兒子
	Tianmen	兒子
	Hong'an	兒, 兒把子
	Chengdu	兒子, 兒
Nanchong	兒子
Dazhou	兒子, 娃兒
Hanyuan	兒, 兒子
Xichang	兒, 兒子, 娃娃
Zigong	兒子
Chongqing	兒子, 娃兒, 兒
Guiyang	兒子, 男娃娃, 男娃兒
Zunyi	娃兒, 兒
Bijie	兒子
Liping	崽
Zhaotong	兒子
Dali	兒子
Kunming	兒子, 小子
Mengzi	兒子
Guilin	崽, 兒子
Liuzhou	崽, 兒子
Sanjiang (Danzhou)	娃崽
Jishou	兒
Changde	兒子
Anqing	兒子
Xuzhou	兒子, 小子
Fuyang	兒子
Wuhu	兒子
Yangzhou	兒子
Lianyungang	兒子
Lianshui	兒子
Nanjing	兒子
Hefei	兒子
Nantong	侯
Malaysia	兒子
Singapore	兒子
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	兒子, 兒
Cantonese	Guangzhou	仔
	Hong Kong	仔, 阿仔, 仔仔
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	仔
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	仔
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	仔
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	仔
	Macau	仔
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	仔
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	仔
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	仔
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	仔
	Foshan	仔
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	仔
	Foshan (Shunde)	仔
	Foshan (Sanshui)	仔
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	仔
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	仔
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	仔
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	仔
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	仔
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	仔
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	仔
	Taishan	仔
	Kaiping (Chikan)	仔
	Enping (Niujiang)	仔
	Heshan (Yayao)	仔
	Dongguan	仔
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	仔
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	阿仔
	Qingyuan	仔
	Fogang	仔
	Yingde (Hanguang)	仔
	Yangshan	仔
	Lianshan (Butian)	仔
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	仔
	Shaoguan	仔
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	仔
	Renhua	仔
	Lechang	仔
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	仔
	Sihui	仔
	Guangning	仔
	Deqing	仔
	Huaiji	仔
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	仔
	Yunfu	仔
	Xinxing	仔
	Luoding	仔
	Yunan (Pingtai)	仔
	Yangjiang	仔
	Xinyi	仔
	Maoming (Xinpo)	仔
	Lianjiang	仔
	Wuchuan (Wuyang)	仔, 仔兒
	Nanning	仔
	Wuzhou	仔
	Yulin	儂
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	仔
	Guiping	仔
	Mengshan (Xihe)	兒
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	儂
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	仔
	Baise	仔
	Bobai	仔
Lingshan	仔
Pubei	仔
Qinzhou	仔
Beihai	仔
Beihai (Nankang)	仔
Beihai (Yingpan)	仔
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	仔
Ningming	仔
Hengzhou	兒
Hezhou (Pumen)	仔
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	仔
Danzhou	兒
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	仔
Singapore (Guangfu)	仔
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	仔
Móng Cái	仔
Gan	Nanchang	崽
	Lichuan	崽, 子
	Pingxiang	崽, 倈牯, 倈
Hakka	Meixian	倈仔
	Xingning	倈哩
	Dabu (Xihe)	倈兒, 子
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	阿仔, 子
	Huizhou (Shuikou Bendihua)	阿仔
	Huizhou (Hengli Bendihua)	阿仔
	Huiyang	倈子
	Huidong (Pingshan Bendihua)	阿仔
	Huidong (Daling)	倈伊
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	倈
	Longmen (Pingling Bendihua)	仔
	Longmen (Luxi Bendihua)	仔
	Boluo (Bendihua)	阿仔
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	倈
	Zengcheng (Zhengguo)	倈子
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	倈子
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	倈子
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	倈哩
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	倈哩
	Wuhua (Changbu)	倈哩
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	倈哩
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	阿仔
	Zijin (Guzhu Bendihua)	仔
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	仔
	Longchuan (Sidu Bendihua)	仔
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	仔
	Lianping (Zhongxin Bendihua)	仔, 阿仔
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	仔
	Wengyuan	倈子
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	倈子
	Xinfeng (Matou Bendihua)	阿仔
	Xinfeng (Daxi Bendihua)	仔, 阿仔
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	阿弟
	Liannan	倈子
	Conghua (Lütian)	仔
	Jiexi	倈
	Luhe	倈仔
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	阿子
	Changting	倈子, 子哩, 子
	Wuping	子哩, 兒子
	Wuping (Yanqian)	子哩
	Wuping (Pingyu)	倈子
	Liancheng	子, 倈倈子
	Ninghua	子
	Yudu	子
	Ningdu	倈子
	Ruijin	子
	Shicheng	崽
	Shangyou (Shexi)	崽, 倈兒
	Tonggu (Sandu)	倈子
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	崽
	Dayu	崽哩
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	倈仔
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	倈仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	倈仔
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	倈, 細倈
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	倈仔
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	後生
	Hong Kong	倈子
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	子
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	仔
	Xinyi (Sihe)	仔, 子
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	子, 仔
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	子
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	子
Huazhou (Xin'an)	子
Lianjiang (Shijiao)	倈子, 子
Lianjiang (Qingping)	子
Mengshan (Xihe)	倈
Luchuan	子
Luchuan (Daqiao)	子
Bobai (Shahe)	子
Beiliu (Tang'an)	倈
Sabah (Bao'an)	倈子
Sabah (Longchuan)	倈哩
Kuala Lumpur (Dabu)	倈
Senai (Huiyang)	倈子
Singkawang	倈子
Huizhou	Jixi	兒子
	Shexian	兒子, 伢兒
	Tunxi	兒子
	Xiuning	兒子
	Yixian	兒子
	Qimen	兒子
	Wuyuan	兒子, 小倈
	Fuliang	崽
	Dexing	兒子
	Shitai (Xianyu)	兒子
Jin	Taiyuan	兒子, 小子
	Pingyao	小子
	Datong	兒子, 小子
	Xinzhou	兒, 小子
	Lishi	兒, 小子
	Linfen	兒
	Changzhi	兒得, 孩得
	Linhe	兒子, 小子
	Jining	小子
	Hohhot	兒子, 小子
	Erenhot	小子
	Pingshan	小子
	Zhangjiakou	兒子
	Handan	兒子, 小子
	Linzhou	孩哦
	Suide	兒, 小子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	囝, 囝仔
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	囝
	Songxi	囝
	Zhenghe	囝
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	囝
	Jianyang	囝
	Jianyang (Huangkeng)	囝
	Wuyishan	囝
	Pucheng (Shibei)	囝
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	囝, 丈夫囝
	Changle	囝
	Lianjiang	囝
	Fuqing	囝
	Pingtan	囝
	Yongtai	囝
	Minqing	囝
	Gutian	囝
	Pingnan	囝
	Luoyuan	囝
	Fu'an	囝
	Ningde	囝
	Xiapu	囝
	Zherong	囝
	Shouning	囝
	Zhouning	囝
	Fuding	囝
	Matsu	囝
Southern Min	Xiamen	囝, 後生, 後的
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	囝, 後生
	Quanzhou	囝, 後生, 囡仔
	Jinjiang	囝
	Nan'an	囝
	Shishi	囝
	Hui'an	囝
	Anxi	囝
	Yongchun	囝
	Dehua	囝
	Zhangzhou	囝, 後生
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	囝, 後生
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	後生
	Hua'an	後生, 囝
	Nanjing	後生
	Pinghe	囝, 後生
	Zhangpu	囝, 後生
	Yunxiao	後生, 囝
	Zhao'an	囝
	Dongshan	囝, 後生
	Taipei	囝, 後生
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	囝, 後生
	Kaohsiung	囝, 後生
	Yilan	囝, 後生
	Changhua (Lukang)	囝, 後生
	Taichung	囝, 後生, 後的
	Tainan	囝, 後生
	Hsinchu	囝, 後生
	Kinmen	囝, 後生
	Penghu (Magong)	囝, 後生
	Penang (Hokkien)	囝, 後生
	Singapore (Hokkien)	囝, 後生, 後生囝, 丈夫囝
	Manila (Hokkien)	囝, 後生
	Longyan	後生, 囝
	Zhangping	後生, 囝
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	囝, 後生
	Datian	囝
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	崽
	Chaozhou	囝, 逗囝
	Shantou	囝, 逗囝
	Shantou (Chenghai)	囝, 逗囝
	Jieyang	囝, 逗囝, 孥, 阿孥
	Lufeng	囝
	Haifeng	丈夫囝
	Bangkok (Teochew)	逗囝
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	丈夫囝
	Singapore (Teochew)	囝, 丈夫囝, 逗囝
	Leizhou	囝
	Wenchang	囝, 丈夫囝
	Haikou	囝, 細囝, 孧囝
	Qionghai	囝
Puxian Min	Putian	囝
	Xianyou	囝
Central Min	Yong'an	囝
	Sanyuan	囝仔
	Shaxian	囝仔
Shaojiang Min	Shaowu	囝兒
	Guangze	囝兒
	Jiangle	囝
	Mingxi	囝
	Shunchang	囝
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	囝
	Sanxiang	囝
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	崽
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	崽
Shehua	Fu'an	仔
	Fuding	仔
	Luoyuan	仔
	Sanming	仔
	Shunchang	仔
	Hua'an	仔
	Guixi (Zhangping)	仔
	Cangnan	仔
	Jingning	仔
	Lishui	仔
	Longyou	仔
	Chaozhou	仔
	Fengshun	仔
Wu	Shanghai	兒子
	Shanghai (Chongming)	兒子
	Suzhou	兒子
	Wuxi	兒子
	Danyang	兒子
	Hangzhou	兒子, 伢兒
	Ningbo	兒子
	Wenzhou	兒
	Jinhua	兒, 兒子
	Jinhua (Tangxi)	兒
Xiang	Changsha	崽伢子, 崽, 伢子
	Xiangtan	崽, 崽伢唧
	Loudi	崽
	Shuangfeng	崽, 伢唧
	Quanzhou	崽

Compounds

• 一點兒／一点儿 (yīdiǎnr)
• 主兒／主儿 (zhǔr)
• 乳兒／乳儿 (rǔ'ér)
• 乾兒／干儿
• 亂兒／乱儿 (luànr)
• 了兒／了儿
• 些兒／些儿
• 亮兒／亮儿
• 人兒／人儿
• 今兒／今儿 (jīnr)
• 佳兒／佳儿
• 侍兒／侍儿 (shì'ér)
• 信兒／信儿 (xìnr)
• 保兒／保儿
• 俞兒／俞儿
• 個兒／个儿 (gèr)
• 倈兒／俫儿
• 倍兒／倍儿
• 偷兒／偷儿
• 健兒／健儿 (jiàn'ér)
• 先兒／先儿
• 兒兒／儿儿
• 兒化／儿化 (érhuà)
• 兒啼／儿啼
• 兒夫／儿夫
• 兒女／儿女 (érnǚ)
• 兒媳／儿媳 (érxí)
• 兒嬉／儿嬉
• 兒子／儿子
• 兒孫／儿孙 (érsūn)
• 兒家／儿家
• 兒寬／儿宽
• 兒息／儿息
• 兒戲／儿戏 (érxì)
• 兒拜／儿拜
• 兒時／儿时 (érshí)
• 兒曹／儿曹
• 兒歌／儿歌 (érgē)
• 兒母／儿母
• 兒科／儿科 (érkē)
• 兒童／儿童 (értóng)
• 兒茶／儿茶 (érchá)
• 兒語／儿语
• 兒郎／儿郎 (érláng)
• 兒馬／儿马 (érmǎ)
• 兒齒／儿齿
• 六兒／六儿
• 冰棍兒／冰棍儿 (bīnggùnr)
• 刃兒／刃儿
• 分兒／分儿 (fēnr, fènr)
• 前兒／前儿 (qiánr)
• 勤兒／勤儿
• 勦兒／剿儿
• 包兒／包儿 (bāor)
• 包干兒
• 卜兒／卜儿
• 反犬旁兒／反犬旁儿 (fǎnquǎnpángr)
• 口兒／口儿
• 可兒／可儿 (Kě'ér)
• 合兒／合儿
• 吃兒／吃儿 (chīr)
• 名兒／名儿 (míngr)
• 咂兒／咂儿 (zār)
• 味兒／味儿 (wèir)
• 哥兒／哥儿 (gēr)
• 嗓兒／嗓儿
• 嗝兒／嗝儿
• 嗎兒／吗儿 (már)
• 嘎兒／嘎儿
• 嘴兒／嘴儿
• 圈兒／圈儿 (quānr)
• 坑兒／坑儿 (kēngr)
• 坎兒／坎儿
• 大褂兒／大褂儿 (dàguàr)
• 奚兒／奚儿
• 套兒／套儿 (tàor)
• 女兒／女儿 (nǚ'ér)
• 好兒／好儿
• 姐兒／姐儿 (jiěr)
• 妻兒／妻儿 (qī'ér)
• 姊兒／姊儿
• 娃兒／娃儿 (wár)
• 姪兒／侄儿
• 姨兒／姨儿 (yír)
• 娘兒／娘儿
• 婆兒／婆儿
• 媒兒／媒儿
• 媽兒／妈儿
• 嬌兒／娇儿 (jiāo'ér)
• 嬰兒／婴儿 (yīng'ér)
• 嬰兒車／婴儿车 (yīng'érchē)
• 子兒／子儿 (zǐr)
• 字眼兒／字眼儿 (zìyǎnr)
• 孤兒／孤儿 (gū'ér)
• 孩兒／孩儿
• 孫兒／孙儿 (sūn'ér)
• 官兒／官儿
• 寵兒／宠儿 (chǒng'ér)
• 封兒／封儿
• 小兒／小儿
• 小兒科／小儿科 (xiǎo'érkē)
• 小兒麻痺症／小儿麻痹症 (xiǎo'érmábìzhèng)
• 尖兒／尖儿 (jiānr)
• 屜兒／屉儿
• 岔兒／岔儿
• 帖兒／帖儿
• 帖木兒／帖木儿
• 帽兒／帽儿 (màor)
• 幡兒／幡儿
• 幫兒／帮儿
• 幺兒／幺儿 (yāo'ér)
• 幼兒／幼儿 (yòu'ér)
• 幼兒園／幼儿园 (yòu'éryuán)
• 幾兒／几儿
• 底兒／底儿
• 座兒／座儿 (zuòr)
• 廝兒／厮儿
• 龐兒／庞儿
• 弓兒／弓儿
• 影兒／影儿
• 後兒／后儿 (hòur)
• 徒兒／徒儿
• 忒兒／忒儿
• 性兒／性儿
• 愣兒／愣儿
• 成兒／成儿
• 戳兒／戳儿
• 手兒／手儿 (shǒur)
• 扣兒／扣儿 (kòur)
• 把兒／把儿
• 拘兒／拘儿
• 招兒／招儿 (zhāor)
• 拐兒／拐儿
• 捻兒／捻儿 (niǎnr)
• 撈兒／捞儿
• 撲兒／扑儿
• 擔兒／担儿 (dànr)
• 方兒／方儿
• 旋兒／旋儿 (xuánr)
• 旦兒／旦儿
• 明兒／明儿 (míngr)
• 昨兒／昨儿 (zuór)
• 星兒／星儿
• 會兒／会儿
• 末兒／末儿 (mòr)
• 材兒／材儿
• 東兒／东儿
• 枝兒／枝儿
• 板兒／板儿
• 果兒／果儿 (guǒr)
• 架兒／架儿
• 根兒／根儿 (gēnr)
• 條兒／条儿
• 桿兒／杆儿
• 棄兒／弃儿 (qì'ér)
• 樂兒／乐儿 (lèr)
• 標兒／标儿
• 槽兒／槽儿
• 樁兒／桩儿
• 款兒／款儿
• 母兒／母儿
• 比兒／比儿
• 汁兒／汁儿 (zhīr)
• 注兒
• 活兒／活儿 (huór)
• 洞兒／洞儿
• 渣兒／渣儿
• 準兒／准儿 (zhǔnr)
• 溜兒／溜儿
• 漂兒／漂儿 (piāor)
• 滾兒／滚儿
• 片兒／片儿
• 牙兒／牙儿
• 特兒／特儿
• 狗兒／狗儿 (gǒur)
• 猘兒／猘儿
• 猴兒／猴儿 (hóur)
• 猱兒／猱儿
• 猧兒／𰡏儿
• 玩兒／玩儿 (wánr)
• 玩意兒／玩意儿 (wányìr)
• 瓤兒／瓤儿 (rángr)
• 產兒／产儿 (chǎn'ér)
• 甸兒／甸儿
• 男兒／男儿 (nán'ér)
• 當兒／当儿 (dāngr)
• 痴兒／痴儿
• 盆兒／盆儿 (pénr)
• 盤兒／盘儿
• 盲兒／盲儿
• 盹兒／盹儿
• 短兒／短儿
• 破兒／破儿
• 碴兒／碴儿 (chár)
• 萬兒／万儿
• 稿兒／稿儿
• 穗兒／穗儿
• 空兒／空儿 (kòngr)
• 窩兒／窝儿
• 窳兒／窳儿
• 符兒／符儿
• 答兒／答儿
• 筷兒／筷儿 (kuàir)
• 箍兒／箍儿
• 篇兒／篇儿
• 簍兒／篓儿
• 粒兒／粒儿 (lìr)
• 細兒／细儿 (xì'ěr)
• 綑兒／捆儿
• 縫兒／缝儿
• 繭兒／茧儿
• 纂兒／纂儿
• 缸兒／缸儿 (gāngr)
• 羔兒／羔儿
• 義兒／义儿 (yì'ér)
• 翅兒／翅儿 (chìr)
• 老兒／老儿
• 肚兒／肚儿 (dǔr)
• 股兒／股儿
• 育兒／育儿 (yù'ér)
• 胎兒／胎儿 (tāi'ér)
• 胡兒／胡儿 (hú'ér)
• 腦兒／脑儿
• 臉兒／脸儿 (liǎnr)
• 臺兒莊／台兒莊／台儿庄 (Tái'érzhuāng)
• 芽兒／芽儿
• 苗兒／苗儿
• 萌兒／萌儿
• 葉兒／叶儿 (yèr)
• 落兒／落儿
• 虎兒／虎儿
• 蟲兒／虫儿 (chóngr)
• 衫兒／衫儿
• 襯兒／衬儿
• 角兒／角儿
• 話兒／话儿 (huàr)
• 試兒／试儿
• 語兒／语儿
• 調兒／调儿
• 謎兒／谜儿
• 譜兒／谱儿
• 豚兒／豚儿 (tún'ér)
• 貓兒／猫儿
• 貼兒／贴儿
• 趣兒／趣儿
• 跑兒／跑儿
• 跟兒／跟儿
• 路兒／路儿
• 蹦兒／蹦儿 (bèngr)
• 躉兒／趸儿
• 輪兒／轮儿 (lúnr)
• 轍兒／辙儿
• 這兒／这儿 (zhèr)
• 過兒／过儿
• 道兒／道儿 (dàor)
• 𰻞𰻞兒麵／𰻝𰻝儿面 (biángbiángrmiàn)
• 那兒／那儿 (nàr)
• 鄉下老兒／乡下老儿
• 醭兒／醭儿 (búr)
• 鏝兒／镘儿
• 閤兒／合儿
• 閣兒／阁儿
• 雄兒／雄儿
• 雌兒／雌儿
• 雛兒／雏儿
• 霜兒／霜儿
• 靨兒／靥儿
• 音兒／音儿
• 頭兒／头儿 (tóur)
• 顰兒／颦儿
• 風兒／风儿
• 餡兒／馅儿 (xiànr)
• 館兒／馆儿
• 驕兒／骄儿
• 鬙兒／鬙儿
• 䰖兒／𱆈儿
• 鬮兒／阄儿
• 魚兒／鱼儿
• 鴇兒／鸨儿
• 麟兒／麟儿 (lín'ér)
• 鼻兒／鼻儿
• 齣兒／出儿

 

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		兒
alternative forms		児 𠒇 𫤘

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ní (ni²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ngai⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ní
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ní
    • Wade–Giles: ni²
    • Yale: ní
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ni
    • Palladius: ни (ni)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ni³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngai⁴
    • Yale: ngàih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngei⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɐi̯²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: ngej

Rime
Character	兒
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	五稽切
Baxter	ngej
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋei/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋei/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋɛi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɛj/
Li Rong	/ŋei/
Wang Li	/ŋiei/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋiei/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngai4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋeː/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	兒
Reading #	1/2
No.	2748
Phonetic component	兒
Rime group	支
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	倪
Old Chinese	/*ŋeː/

Definitions

兒

1. a surname
2. Alternative form of 齯／𫠜 (ní, “teeth grown in old age”)
3. Alternative form of 倪 (“small and weak”)
4. Alternative form of 郳 (Ní)

References

• “兒”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Shinjitai	児
Kyūjitai	兒

Kanji

兒

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 児)

1. Kyūjitai form of 児 (“child; young of animals”)
2. Used in personal names.

Readings

• Go-on: に (ni); げ (ge)
• Kan-on: じ (ji); げい (gei)
• Kun: こ (ko, 兒)
• Nanori: ちご (chigo)

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 兒 (MC nye).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	Recorded as Middle Korean ᅀᅵᆼ (Yale: zì?) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[3]	아ᄒᆡ ᅀᆞ	Recorded as Middle Korean ᅀᆞ (zo) (Yale: zò) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.
Gwangju Cheonjamun, 1575	아ᄒᆡ ᄋᆞ	Recorded as Middle Korean ᄋᆞ (o) (Yale: o) in Gwangju Cheonjamun (光州千字文 / 광주천자문), 1575.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [a̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [아]

Hanja

Wikisource

兒 (eumhun 아이 아 (ai a))

1. Hanja form^? of 아 (“child”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 아동 (兒童, adong)
• 미아 (迷兒, mia)
• 영아 (嬰兒, yeong'a)
• 유아 (乳兒, yua)
• 육아 (育兒, yuga)
• 남아 (男兒, nama)
• 여아 (女兒, yeoa)
• 태아 (胎兒, taea)
• 아명 (兒名, amyeong, “one's childhood name”)
• 고아 (孤兒, goa)
• 고아원 (孤兒院, goawon)
• 신생아 (新生兒, sinsaeng'a)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 兒 (MC ngej).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	Recorded as Middle Korean 옝 (Yale: yey?) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [je̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [예]

Hanja

兒 (eumhun 다시 난 이 예 (dasi nan i ye))

1. Hanja form^? of 예 (“used in personal names”).

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [4]
• Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo), page 30. [5]

Vietnamese

Han character

兒: Hán Việt readings: nhi, nghê
兒: Nôm readings: nhẻ

1. chữ Hán form of nhi (“child”).