(diǎn ér) - a little, a bit, a tiny amount in Mandarin
diǎnérTraditional: 點兒
Translation
a little, a bit, a tiny amount
Word origin
Formed from 点 (diǎn, dot, a small amount) with the northern retroflex suffix 儿 (ér), softening it into the colloquial sense of a little bit.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 点 (diǎn, dot, small amount) + 儿 (ér, retroflex suffix)
Stroke order
点
儿
Examples
。
Please give me a little water.
。
It is a bit cold today.
?
Could you be a bit quicker?
。
I only ate a little food.
。
Speak a little more Chinese.
点儿 (diǎn ér) is the colloquial form of 一点儿, meaning a little or a bit. It is heavily used in northern spoken Mandarin to express a small quantity or degree.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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点儿: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "点儿" (a little, a bit, a tiny amount): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 39.