Si Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Water (shuǐ) Entry: Er Kangxi strokes: 10 Page 620, Entry 01 Pronounced er. According to the Analytical Dictionary of Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it means to be damp. Another definition is the name of a body of water. Also appears in the compound lian-er, describing the appearance of flowing tears. As stated in the poem by Wang Can, tears flow in a continuous stream.