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童子 (tóng zǐ) — boy, lad (often in classical or formal contexts)

Definition

童子 is a classical/formal word for 'boy, child' — mostly found in set phrases like 童子军 (Boy Scouts) and literary contexts, not everyday speech. Learners should recognize it in fixed expressions rather than use it actively.

noun
boylad (often in classical or formal contexts)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 童子，。
    Zhè ge tóng zǐ hěn cōng ming, yǐ jīng huì bèi hěn duō gǔ shī le.
    This boy is very smart; he can already recite many ancient poems.
  • 童子。
    Sì miào lǐ yǒu yí gè xiǎo tóng zǐ zài sǎo dì.
    There is a young boy sweeping the floor in the temple.
  • 童子。
    Zhè ge tóng zǐ shì tóng zǐ jūn de chéng yuán.
    This boy is a member of the Boy Scouts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

童tóngyoung
子zǐson

童 'young' and 子 'son' combine to mean a young boy.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 䇂䇂䇂chisel
  • 見見jiànkneeling person with a huge eye

The form 童 comes from a pairing of 䇂 (a chisel) with 見 (a kneeling person with a huge eye), depicting a person having an eye gouged out.

Open 童 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Life Stages & Age

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