ěr

you

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a sharp weapon with a sharp head and tail decorations on the end. Similar in origin to . Original meaning unclear.

Evolution

尔 Bronze script Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze script

Late Warring States (~250 BC)
尔 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
尔 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
尔 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

ěr

you; that, those; final particle; thus; so; like that; thou

() 

ěr

variant of |[ěr]

Most common words with 尔
Freq.
Word
Meaning

thus

偶尔

occasionally

高尔夫

golf (loanword)

哈尔滨

Harbin, subprovincial city and capital of Heilongjiang province 黑龍江|黑龙江[Hēi​lóng​jiāng] in northeast China

比尔

Bill (name)

Component uses

Meaning component in 3 characters (1 verified)

Sound component in 5 characters (2 verified)

Simplified component in 1 character (1 verified)

Sources

季旭昇《說文新證》p.259

董蓮池《說文解字考正》p.129

張亞初《商周古文字源流疏證》p.1931-1932