unknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, rank #13220, Very Hard
饵
ěr
food
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, rank #13220, Very Hard
饵
ěr
to swallow
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, rank #13220, Very Hard
饵
ěr
to lure
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, rank #13220, Very Hard
饵
ěr
lure
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, rank #13220, Very Hard
ěr(er3) T3
1bait; cake; dumplings; to bait, to entice
2pastry
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
饵(餌)ěr(er3)
饵 (ěr) primarily means 'bait' in the context of fishing, referring to food used to attract fish. Additionally, it can denote 'cake' or 'dumplings' in certain culinary contexts, illustrating its versatility in Chinese food terminology. The term is often used in both literal and figurative senses, such as luring someone into a situation.
Strokes9Radical饣Frequency#13220DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, fishing is both a popular pastime and a traditional occupation, making the word 饵 relevant in conversations about leisure activities and food preparation. Additionally, dumplings are a significant part of Chinese cuisine, often made for celebrations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a fisherman holding a cake (饵) made to look like a fish to attract real fish. The character 饵 contains the radical 食 (food) at the bottom, reminding you that it's related to something edible, and the '儿' (ér) at the top can sound like 'ear,' suggesting you should listen carefully to catch fish!
Meanings of 饵
ěr(er3)
1bait; cake; dumplings; to bait, to entice
2pastry
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 饵
饵Simplified
餌Traditional
9Strokes
饣Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 饵
Podcast: 饵
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 饵
Quick Contrast
饵 (ěr, bait) vs 食物 (shíwù, food) — use 饵 when specifically referring to bait used for attracting fish, while 食物 is a general term for food.
Usage Notes
Be cautious not to confuse 饵 (bait) with other similar sounding words. This term is more informal and often used in culinary contexts when discussing food items like dumplings. Common collocations include '鱼饵' (yú ěr - fish bait) and '诱饵' (yòu ěr - lure).
HSK Study Tips
Although 饵 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to HSK Level 3 words related to food and fishing, such as 食物 (shí wù - food) and 鱼 (yú - fish). Students should focus on the usage of 饵 in sentences to understand its context in food-related discussions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 饵 when they mean food in general, while it's specifically related to bait or certain types of food like dumplings. For example, saying '我想吃饵' (I want to eat bait) should be corrected to '我想吃饺子' (I want to eat dumplings) if referring to dumplings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 饵
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 饵 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 饣 represents the meaning and 耳 represents the sound. Simplified form of 餌.
1The meaning half饣 carries the sense.
2The sound half耳 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayfood
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 饵? 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 饵?
Decomposition of 饵
IDS Structure⿰饣耳
饵Full Character
=
饣shi2
left
耳er3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 饵?
How to say bait; cake; dumplings; to bait, to entice in Chinese
“bait; cake; dumplings; to bait, to entice” in Chinese is饵ěr
饵 (ěr) primarily means 'bait' in the context of fishing, referring to food used to attract fish. Additionally, it can denote 'cake' or 'dumplings' in certain culinary contexts, illustrating its versatility in Chinese food terminology. The term is often used in both literal and figurative senses, such as luring someone into a situation.
When to use 饵
Be cautious not to confuse 饵 (bait) with other similar sounding words. This term is more informal and often used in culinary contexts when discussing food items like dumplings. Common collocations include '鱼饵' (yú ěr - fish bait) and '诱饵' (yòu ěr - lure).
饵 or something close to it
饵 (ěr, bait) vs 食物 (shíwù, food) — use 饵 when specifically referring to bait used for attracting fish, while 食物 is a general term for food.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 饵 when they mean food in general, while it's specifically related to bait or certain types of food like dumplings. For example, saying '我想吃饵' (I want to eat bait) should be corrected to '我想吃饺子' (I want to eat dumplings) if referring to dumplings.
Write 饵
饵
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 饵 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 饵
饵 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
他们正好踩上了____雷，结果被炸得粉身碎骨。
They walked right into a booby-trap and got blown to smithereens.
Example Sentences for 饵 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们正好踩上了饵雷，结果被炸得粉身碎骨。
tā mén zhèng hǎo cǎi shàng le ěr léi， ， jié guǒ bèi zhà dé fěn shēn suì。
They walked right into a booby-trap and got blown to smithereens.
