差点儿 (chàdiǎnr) · almost
差点儿 (chàdiǎnr) means “almost; nearly”. It is written with 3 characters: 差 (poor) + 点 (point) + 儿 (child). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 差点儿 is built
The characters
差 chà · poor
What 差 is made of
- 羊yáng — sheep
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 工gōng — labor
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丄shàng — above
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: Work 工 done by a sheep 羊; incompetence (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
点 diǎn · point
What 点 is made of
- 占zhàn — to divine
- ⺊ — structural part
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- ⺊ — structural part
- 灬huǒ — fire
Origin hint: 灬 gives the meaning, 占 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
儿 ér · child
What 儿 is made of
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 乚 — hook stroke
Origin hint: Simplified form of 兒, a picture of a child; compare 人 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
Questions about 差点儿
What does 差点儿 mean?
差点儿 (chàdiǎnr) means “almost; nearly”.
How do you pronounce 差点儿?
差点儿 is pronounced chàdiǎnr.
Which HSK level is 差点儿?
差点儿 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025).
Related words
- 差不多chàbuduōalmost
- 出差chūchāito go on a business trip
- 差别chābiédifference
- 差距chājùgap
- 时差shíchātime difference
- 偏差piānchādeviation
- 误差wùchāerror
- 相差xiāngchàto differ
- 差chàpoor
- 地点dìdiǎnlocation
It is part of HSK 4 · Group 7: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.