画儿

• Pinyin: huàr
• Hanzi breakdown: 画 (huà) — painting, to draw; 儿 (r) — erhua suffix giving a colloquial spoken tone

Meaning

Picture; painting; drawing. The colloquial noun form referring to a painted or drawn artwork.

The erhua (儿化) form of 画 as a noun, commonly used in northern Mandarin. Refers to paintings, drawings, or pictures. More casual and spoken than the standard 画.

Examples

1. 墙上挂着一幅画儿。 A painting is hanging on the wall.
2. 他画的画儿真好看。 The pictures he drew are really nice.
3. 我在商店看到一幅漂亮的画儿。 I saw a beautiful painting in the store.

Usage Guide

Context: art, daily life, descriptions

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这幅画儿真好看。(This painting is really nice.)
• 我买了一幅画儿。(I bought a painting.)

Don't Say

• 在正式写作中不要写画儿，要写画 (In formal writing, use 画 instead of 画儿 — the erhua form is colloquial and spoken)

Origin & History

画 with the erhua suffix 儿, a phonological feature of northern Mandarin that gives a casual, spoken feel to the noun form.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal