How to Write 佴 (èr) — Meaning “Er (a surname)”

Think of the English word "ear" which sounds like "èr". Since the right side of 佴 is 耳 (meaning ear), you can imagine a person (亻) with an ear that is so big it becomes their surname. This visual link between the sound and the ear shape makes the character easy to recall.

Pay attention to the left radical 亻: its vertical stroke should be straight and slightly longer than the right part. The right part 耳 has six horizontal strokes (including the top horizontal) and one vertical stroke; make sure the bottom horizontal is not too long. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting the short horizontal inside 耳.

Unlike 佴 (surname, èr), 仰 (yǎng) has a right component that looks like a kneeling person (卩 plus a stroke) and means "to look up" or "to admire". 仲 (zhòng) has the character 中 (middle) on the right and means "middle" or "second". Visually, the right sides are completely different: 佴 has an ear (耳), 仰 has a seal-like shape (卩), and 仲 has a box with a vertical line (中).

佴 is a very rare surname in China, used by a small number of families. You will almost never see it in everyday conversations or common texts; it mainly appears in historical records, genealogies, or as a family name for some individuals. Unlike common surnames like 李 or 王, 佴 is not included in the HSK word lists and is mostly encountered in specialized or regional contexts.

Common words containing 佴 include: 佴姓 (èr xìng) — The surname Er; 佴氏 (èr shì) — The Er clan; 佴家 (èr jiā) — The Er family.