noun

Meanings

  1. 1 surname Ni
  2. 2 limit; bound; extremity

Examples

HSK 3
Ní xiānsheng shì wǒ fùqīn de lǎo tóngshì.
Mr. Ni is an old colleague of my father's.
HSK 6
Zhèjiànshì zhōngyú yǒu le yìdiǎn duānní.
This matter is finally beginning to show some signs of progress.

Tips

usage
is most often a surname today. In classical usage it meant a limit or edge, surviving mainly in 端倪 (the first signs / a clue of something).

Components

radical
dānrénpáng
person (radical form)
The side person radical (a left form of ) fits the early sense of a small child, and supports its later use as a person's surname.
phonetic
ér
child
Right side is the traditional form of (child). It supplies the sound (ér drifting to ní) and reinforces the original "small child" meaning.

Stroke Order