儿
The 儿 radical
Child, human legs
Memory hook
A pair of legs standing apart. In modern characters it usually sits at the bottom as the legs: 先 (first), 光 (light), 元 (yuan).
The 儿 radical (read ér) means child, human legs. The HSK 3.0 data contains 15 characters and 177 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 儿 radical
Study this radical's 177 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 儿 radical
15 charactersHSK 1· 3 characters
HSK 1儿
son
元
yuan (monetary unit)
先
first, beforehand
HSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2克
to restrain; to overcome
HSK 3· 2 characters
HSK 3充
full, sufficient, ample
光
light
HSK 4· 2 characters
HSK 4兄
elder brother
免
to exempt, to excuse
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5兔
rabbit
HSK 6· 2 characters
HSK 6允
to allow; to permit
党
party, political party
HSK 7-9· 4 characters
HSK 7-9兆
trillion (a numeral)
兑
to exchange; to swap
兜
兢
fearful, cautious, anxious
Vocabulary with the 儿 radical
177 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 儿 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (63/177 words of this radical).
a bit; a little while
a moment; a little while
together
a little; a bit
son
yuan (monetary unit)
first, beforehand
sir, Mr. (a respectful term)
where
before long; after a little while; in a moment
to restrain; to overcome
kilogram (unit of mass)
to work; to do manual labor
hurry up
a little; slightly
to have free time
picture; drawing
joke; funny story
not only
to be filled with; to brim with
advanced; modern
light
light; brightness
to overcome; to conquer
unit (a part of a whole)
free time; spare moment
US dollar
beforehand, in advance
child, children
brothers
ample, abundant
to charge (a battery)
charger
to grace with one's presence
optical disc
free (of charge)
inevitable
height, size
priority
children
New Year's Day, the first day of the new year
sufficient, ample
previously, before
one after another, in turn
light
pediatrics
to allow, to permit
element
vanguard; pioneer
radiance, glory
so as to avoid, to spare oneself from
party, political party
orphan
children, youngsters
continuously, without stopping
unavoidable, inevitable
size, build, stature (of a person or thing)
everyone striving to be first, afraid of being left behind
to bring glory
popularity with others; relations with people
in order to avoid, so as not to
shock (medical)
Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival)
Why learn vocabulary by the 儿 radical?
The 儿 radical hints at the meaning child, human legs. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 15 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 177 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.