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March 24, 2026
妮nī(ni1)
The character 妮 (nī) primarily refers to a maid or servant girl, often conveying a sense of youth and cuteness. It is commonly used in the context of addressing or describing young females, especially in informal or affectionate ways. In some cases, it serves as a phonetic component in female names.
Strokes8Radical女Frequency#2110DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the term 妮 is often used in literature and media to depict young, charming female characters, reflecting societal views on femininity and youth. It's also commonly found in names for girls, emphasizing gentleness and cuteness.
Memory Tip
Imagine a young girl (represented by 妮) wearing a cute maid outfit, symbolizing her role as a servant. The character's left component (女) represents 'woman,' while the right part (尔) sounds like 'ni.' Picture her saying 'ni' as she cheerfully serves tea, helping you remember both the sound and meaning.
Meanings of 妮
nī(ni1)
1maid, servant girl; cute girl
2girl
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 妮
妮Simplified
8Strokes
女Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 妮
Podcast: 妮
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AI Study Notes for 妮
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 妮 with other similar-sounding characters or forget its informal usage. It's important to use 妮 in appropriate contexts, typically when talking about young women or in a playful tone. Be cautious with the tone; using it incorrectly can lead to misunderstandings.
HSK Study Tips
Though 妮 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to other words about women (like 女, meaning 'female'). Focus on its use in names or as an endearing term to enhance your vocabulary. Recognizing its phonetic role will help in understanding more complex names.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce 妮 as 'ni2' instead of 'nī.' Additionally, they may use it in formal contexts where a more neutral term is expected. For example, using 妮 to address a colleague in a professional setting would be inappropriate.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 妮
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Drill the tone of 妮 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 尼 represents the sound.
1The meaning half女 carries the sense.
2The sound half尼 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaywoman
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 妮? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 妮?
Decomposition of 妮
IDS Structure⿰女尼
妮Full Character
=
女nü3
left
尼ni2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 妮?
How to say maid, servant girl; cute girl in Chinese
“maid, servant girl; cute girl” in Chinese is妮nī
The character 妮 (nī) primarily refers to a maid or servant girl, often conveying a sense of youth and cuteness. It is commonly used in the context of addressing or describing young females, especially in informal or affectionate ways. In some cases, it serves as a phonetic component in female names.
When to use 妮
Learners often confuse 妮 with other similar-sounding characters or forget its informal usage. It's important to use 妮 in appropriate contexts, typically when talking about young women or in a playful tone. Be cautious with the tone; using it incorrectly can lead to misunderstandings.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mispronounce 妮 as 'ni2' instead of 'nī.' Additionally, they may use it in formal contexts where a more neutral term is expected. For example, using 妮 to address a colleague in a professional setting would be inappropriate.
Write 妮
妮
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Practice writing 妮 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 妮
妮 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我问道：“要不我等会儿吧？”梅拉____耸耸肩说：“随你便。”
"Do you mind if I wait?" I asked. Melanie shrugged: "Please yourself."
