耳朵

ěr duo

只 zhǐ 对 duì 双 shuāng

HSK 2.0 Level 3 HSK 3.0 Level 3 Noun Common

Definitions

1. ear
2. handle (on a cup)

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

耳

ěr

ear

耳朵 is the colloquial word for ear; 耳 is used in formal, literary, or compound contexts

Related words

1 item

眼睛

yǎn jing

eye

Often paired as sensory organs: 眼睛 (eyes) and 耳朵 (ears)

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not confuse 耳朵 (ěr duo) with 耳塞 (ěr sāi, earplug) or 木耳 (mù ěr, wood ear mushroom). The second character is light tone, so pronounce it as ěrduo.

Formality

耳朵 is everyday spoken Chinese; in formal medical terms, 耳 (ěr) is used.

Example Sentences

4 shown

猫的耳朵很灵敏。

A cat's ears are very sensitive.

我耳朵痒。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 7772607)

我們有兩隻耳朵。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 766922)

我豎起了耳朵聽。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 881759)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 耳朵

咬耳朵

yǎo ěr duo

(coll.) to whisper in sb's ear

咬着耳朵

yǎo zhe ěr duo

whispering in sb's ear

protruding ears

(dialect) henpecked

credulous

to prick up one's ears; to strain to hear sth

软耳朵

ruǎn ěr duo

credulous person

Child Words of 耳朵

ear