耳 ěr — ear

Pinyin

• ěr (third tone, dipping)

ear

Character breakdown

• 耳shape partA single pictograph: the rim of the ear with the folds of the lobe inside it.

Mnemonic

An ear stood on end: the outer frame is the rim, the two bars inside are the folds of the lobe and the canal. It names the organ in 耳朵, and it is the ear being seized in 取 — a hand reaching for an ear. Note what does not contain it: the traditional 聽 "to listen" was built on this ear, but the simplified 听 was rebuilt around the mouth 口 instead.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 耳

• 耳朵ěrduo (third tone, dipping)ear
• 耳机/耳機ěr (third tone, dipping) jī (first tone, high and level)headphones
• 耳光ěr (third tone, dipping) guāng (first tone, high and level)a slap on the face
• 耳环/耳環ěr (third tone, dipping) huán (second tone, rising)earring
• 刺耳cì (fourth tone, falling) ěr (third tone, dipping)ear-piercing
• 耳目一新ěr (third tone, dipping) mù (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) xīn (first tone, high and level)a pleasant change
• 悦耳/悅耳yuè (fourth tone, falling) ěr (third tone, dipping)sweet-sounding
• 耳熟能详/耳熟能詳ěr (third tone, dipping) shú (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) xiáng (second tone, rising)what's frequently heard can be repeated in detail (idiom)
• 交头接耳/交頭接耳jiāo (first tone, high and level) tóu (second tone, rising) jiē (first tone, high and level) ěr (third tone, dipping)to whisper to one another's ear
• 面红耳赤/面紅耳赤miàn (fourth tone, falling) hóng (second tone, rising) ěr (third tone, dipping) chì (fourth tone, falling)flushed with anger (or excitement)
• 耳闻目睹/耳聞目睹ěr (third tone, dipping) wén (second tone, rising) mù (fourth tone, falling) dǔ (third tone, dipping)to witness personally