The Chinese Radical: 耳


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Meaning
ear    耳

Explanation Shows the picture of an ear (auricle / pinna)

Used in these characters:
HSK 3
to hear, well-known, famous, to smell or sniff
wén
Outside: gate 门/ 門, inside: ear 耳
You put your ear to the gate to hear and smell.  
HSK 3
ear
ěr

Pictogram of a pinna.  
HSK 3
quick at hearing, clever, sharp-witted, intelligent
cōng
Left: ear 耳, right: wholly 总 (What comes out of 丷 the mouth 口 and your heart 心 shall be wholly.)
If your ear works 'wholly', you are quick at hearing and clever.  
HSK 3
to chat, to depend upon (literary), temporarily, just, slightly
liáo
Left: ear 耳, right: year of the rabbit 卯 [Image of a rabbit's hole with a central passage and side chambers] or egg 卵 (but here: a rabbit 卯 with dots as ears)
Whether the ear of a rabbit corresponds to an egg, is what we chatted about temporarily.  
HSK 4
to dare, daring, brave
gǎn
Left: one 乛, ear 耳, right: strike, hit 攵/攴 (hand 又 with a stick 卜)
One (slap) on the ear: how daring!  
HSK 4
to unite, to join, unification
lián
Left: ear 耳 (image of a pinna), right: to close 关 (The mountain pass 丷 in the sky 天 is closed.)- (cf. deaf 聋)
Those whose ears are closed (= the deaf) join in a union.  
HSK 4
duty, profession, post, office
zhí
Left: ear 耳 (image of a pinna), right: sole, merely 只 (one mouth 口 of eight 八 is just alone.)
One ear, merely (is enough) to do the duty.  
HSK 4
to take, to fetch, to get, to choose

Left: ear 耳, right: hand 又
Take somebody's ear with the hand to fetch it.  
HSK 4
employment, hiring
pìn
Left: ear 耳, right: 甹 (reason 由 = The seedling/sprout 丨 in the field 田 has its reason.), winding seaweed 丂 [here: number 5])
The ear has heard that there is a reason for the five: employments.  
HSK 5
gather up, collect, edit, compile

Left: vehicle 车 (車= cart from above with axle 丨, load-area 日 wheels 二), right: whisper 咠 (from the mouth 口 to the ear 耳 - But here: 口=1 parking space and 耳=3 parking spaces)
If the vehicles are not each in one space, but in (a group of) three, they are gathered up.  
HSK 5
to take in, to take a photo, to absorb, to assimilate
shè
Left: hand 扌, right: whisper 聂 (To the ear 耳 with both hands 双 and we whisper.)
By a hand or the ear, but (best) use both hands to take sth. in to absorb.  
HSK 5
to delay, waste time, to indulge in
dān
Left: ear 耳, right: 冘 (big 大 person with broken arms and a broken leg 乚)
(Those who refuse to follow rules shall feel the consequences) The "Listening" can end in broken arms and leg, if you delay it.  
HSK 6
shrug the shoulders, raise up, to excite, lofty
sǒng
Top: to obey 从 2x person (with much imagination: 2 shoulders 人), bottom: ear 耳
The shoulders are high above the ears when shrugging.  
HSK 6
shame, disgrace
chǐ
Left: ear 耳, right: to stop 止 (footprint of a right foot that stops at a line 一) (In traditional Chinese: 恥 with heart 心 its the derivation: "Into the ear 耳 rises (the blood) from the heart 心: you blush and are ashamed")
If the ear "stops" (won't listen) then you are ashamed?  
HSK 6
deaf
lóng
Top: dragon 龙 (The outstanding 丶 person 尤 has a broken leg 乚 with a dragon ノ), bottom: ear 耳
The "dragon in the ear" stands for being "deaf".  
HSK 6
to seize, order or search to arrest sb.

Left: thread 纟/糸, right: 咠 (mouth 口, ear 耳)
Like threads are the (inquiries) from mouths to ears when wanting to seize sb.  
no HSK
honest, upright, bright
gěng
Left: ear 耳, right: fire 火
If your ear has a fire burning (for an idea): you are honest and upright.  
no HSK
to whisper
niè
Top: ear 耳, below: two hands 双
To the ear with both hands! ... and we: whisper.  
no HSK
be feared, afraid, to frighten, to intimidate
shè
Left: feelings 忄, right: whisper 聂 (To the ear 耳 with both hands 双 and we whisper.)
The feeling when whispering is fear.  
no HSK
pastry, food, to swallow, to lure, bait
ěr
Left: eat 饣/食, right: ear 耳
Food (in the volume) of an ear as: a pastry or bait.  
no HSK
(phonetic ye), i.e. Jesus 耶稣 (yē sū)

Left: ear 耳 (pictogram of an auricle), right: village⻏
With an open ear he went through the village: Jesus!  
no HSK
fluffy, hairy, confused, luxuriant growth
róng
Top: plant 艹, bottom: ear 耳
The 'plants' at the ear are fluffy hair.  
no HSK
to greet by raising clasped hands

Left: hand 扌, right: 咠 (mouth 口 and ear 耳)
You clasp the hands, speak (= 口) and hear: when greeting.  
no HSK
always, then, at once
zhé
Left: vehicle 车 (車= (top view with axle丨 load-area 日 wheels 二), right: 耴 (ear 耳, here: axle or axe nail 乚)
At a vehicle you hear 耳 sth. at the axle 乚: always.  
no HSK
to walk on tiptoe, to walk quietly, tread (on), follow
niè
Left: foot 足 (knee cap 口 and footprint 止), right: whisper 聂 (To the ear 耳 with both hands 双 and we whisper.)
When the foot whispers it is on the tiptoes.  
no HSK
apprehend, hear, listen
líng
Left: ear 耳, right: order, command 令 (A lid on the bent person卩, was ordered) - (cf. bell 铃)
The ear is ordered to: apprehend / hear.  
no HSK
pearl or jade earring
ěr
Left: king, jade 王, right: ear 耳
The jade at the ear is the: earring.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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