<p>爾/尔 in Classical Chinese can be used similarly to 然, roughly meaning "thus/so/in such a manner", changing the word to which it's suffixed into an adverb. Here's an example from Mencius 孟子 we can analyze:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>一簞食，一豆羹：得之則生，弗得則死。<strong>嘑爾</strong>而與之，行道之人弗受；<strong>蹴爾</strong>而與之，乞人不屑也。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>My attempt at a faithful English translation:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A basket of rice, a platter of soup: with them one survives; without them one dies. When offered <strong>insultingly</strong>, a vagabond would not accept them; when offered <strong>trampled</strong>, even a beggar would reject them.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here we see 爾 modify the verbs 嘑 (to insult) and 蹴 (to trample) to convert them into adverbs that indicate how the food is offered.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-19T23:09:42.517Z
2014-10-19T23:09:42.517Z
Claw
<p>Examples for <a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/18/js/5C14.htm" rel="nofollow">尔</a> used as a adverbial suffix:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/e/37/84077.htm" rel="nofollow">莞尔</a>，an adverb for "smile".</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/3/4/9801.htm" rel="nofollow">卓尔</a>，an adverb for… er… "act extraordinarily".</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/7/10e/293197.htm" rel="nofollow">率尔</a>，an adverb for "act rashly, etc.".</p>

<p>Links above are references for the character and phrases, maybe a little elusive for non-native speakers, but you can have a glance.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-17T03:43:57.940Z
2014-10-17T03:43:57.940Z
xzczd
<p>爾 here used as an adverbial suffix of classical Chinese. </p>

<grammar><classical-chinese>
Could you give annotated examples regarding the grammar of a sentence in classical Chinese where 爾 is used as an adverbial suffix?
# Could you give annotated examples regarding the grammar of a sentence in classical Chinese where 爾 is used as an adverbial suffix?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-09)

爾 here used as an adverbial suffix of classical Chinese.

**Tags:** grammar, classical-chinese


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-19. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

爾/尔 in Classical Chinese can be used similarly to 然, roughly meaning "thus/so/in such a manner", changing the word to which it's suffixed into an adverb. Here's an example from Mencius 孟子 we can analyze:

> 一簞食，一豆羹：得之則生，弗得則死。**嘑爾**而與之，行道之人弗受；**蹴爾**而與之，乞人不屑也。

My attempt at a faithful English translation:

> A basket of rice, a platter of soup: with them one survives; without them one dies. When offered **insultingly**, a vagabond would not accept them; when offered **trampled**, even a beggar would reject them.

Here we see 爾 modify the verbs 嘑 (to insult) and 蹴 (to trample) to convert them into adverbs that indicate how the food is offered.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-10-17. Score: 0

Examples for [尔](http://www.zdic.net/z/18/js/5C14.htm) used as a adverbial suffix:

[莞尔](http://www.zdic.net/c/e/37/84077.htm)，an adverb for "smile".

[卓尔](http://www.zdic.net/c/3/4/9801.htm)，an adverb for… er… "act extraordinarily".

[率尔](http://www.zdic.net/c/7/10e/293197.htm)，an adverb for "act rashly, etc.".

Links above are references for the character and phrases, maybe a little elusive for non-native speakers, but you can have a glance.


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