Erhua (儿化): the r-suffix is NOT a separate syllable. It fuses with the preceding syllable's final, retroflexing it. 这 + 儿 → zhèr (one syllable, not 'zhè-er'). The final consonant (n in 玩 → wánr) usually drops in fast speech.
register
Erhua is heavily marked as Beijing / northern colloquial. It adds a casual, affectionate, or diminutive feel: 小鸟儿 (cute little birdie), 聊天儿 (chat informally), 一点儿 (a little bit). Southern Mandarin, Taiwan, and formal/literary writing typically drop it.
Components
pictograph
儿r
diminutive suffix; retroflex final
Same glyph as the ér 'child' reading. Under this r reading the character serves only as the toneless erhua suffix, fused with the previous syllable rather than read on its own. In simplified Chinese the form absorbed traditional 兒, which is what gave the modern character its productive suffix life.
