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耳

耳 (ěr) Chinese Character: ear; hearing

6 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 耳

The inner strokes look like the folds inside an ear.

Practice 耳 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: An Ear Seen from the Side

耳 (ěr) means “ear” and can also relate to hearing. In everyday conversation, people usually say 耳朵 for one or both ears. As a component, 耳 can point toward listening, sound, or an ear-shaped object.

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

耳朵
耳ear朵measure-like noun ending=ear
左耳
左left耳ear=left ear

Chinese character origin and etymology

耳 is a pictograph based on the side view of an ear. Its basic shape remained recognizable as writing became more regular.

A vertical outer edge and short inner lines suggest the folds of an ear. 耳 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

耳 is written with 6 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 耳 — ear; hearing — a foundational form used as one complete character

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 耳 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

我的耳朵有点疼。 Wǒ de ěrduo yǒudiǎn téng. My ear hurts a little.
他用耳朵听声音。 Tā yòng ěrduo tīng shēngyīn. He listens to sounds with his ears.
这只猫的耳朵很小。 Zhè zhī māo de ěrduo hěn xiǎo. This cat’s ears are small.

Learning tips for 耳

Learn the reading as one unit: ěr, with the third tone: falling then rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “ear; hearing,” and write the 6 strokes from memory.

Because 耳 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 目 (mù, eye); 口 (kǒu, mouth). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 耳 without pinyin?
  • Can you say ěr with the correct tone and explain “ear; hearing”?
  • Can you write all 6 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 耳 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.