How to Write 儿 (ér) — Meaning “Child; son”

Imagine a toddler standing with legs wide apart, taking their first wobbly steps — the two strokes of 儿 look just like those little legs. This visual reminds you that 儿 means 'child' or 'son'.

Write the first stroke (piě) as a sharp left-falling line, then the second stroke (wān gōu) as a smooth right curve ending with a small hook. A common mistake is making the second stroke too straight or too curved — keep it balanced like a bent leg.

儿 has only two strokes with no extra parts, while 兀 has a horizontal stroke on top (meaning 'bald' or 'towering'). 允 has a triangular top (厶) above the 儿, meaning 'allow' — so think of 儿 as the simple 'legs' without any extras.

儿 is used as a noun meaning 'child' or 'son' in words like 儿子 (son) and 女儿 (daughter). In Northern Mandarin, it also appears as a suffix (-r) to add a diminutive or affectionate tone, like 花儿 (flower) — this is called 'erhua' and is a key feature of Beijing dialect.

Common words containing 儿 include: 儿子 (ér zi) — son; 女儿 (nǚ ér) — daughter; 花儿 (huā ér) — Flower.