Chinese word

玩儿

Pronunciation

Pinyinwánr

Meaning

  • verbplay

Example

我们一起去公园玩儿吧。wǒ men yì qǐ qù gōng yuán wánr ba

Let's go to the park and play together.

Illustration for 玩儿 (play)

More examples

周末我们在家里玩儿。zhōu mò wǒ men zài jiā lǐ wánr

On weekends, we play at home.

Core concept

Enjoyable, low-pressure involvement with something, whether it is a game, an object, or a place.

Common phrases

  • 在家里玩儿zài jiā lǐ wánr

    play at home

  • 跟弟弟玩儿gēn dì di wánr

    play with one's younger brother

Similar words

玩wán: Playing with an object or taking part in an enjoyable activity for fun.

Definition in Chinese

进行轻松的娱乐或消遣，可以指摆弄东西、参与游戏，也可以指随意闲逛。jìn xíng qīng sōng de yú lè huò xiāo qiǎn ké yǐ zhǐ bǎi nòng dōng xī cān yù yóu xì yě ké yǐ zhǐ suí yì xián guàng

Word origin

The verb 玩儿 (wánér, "to play") grew from the idea of amusing oneself with an object, which helps explain its wider modern use for enjoyable activities and time spent out.

Usage tips

  • With an object, this verb often means spending time using it for enjoyment, so a phone or toy can be its object without any formal game being involved.

Other meanings

  • have funverb
  • hang aroundverb
  • fiddle withverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word