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婴孩 (yīng hái) — baby, infant

Definition

Literary/formal word for a baby or infant, used mostly in writing. More everyday than 婴儿 (yīng'ér), which is the neutral common term.

noun
babyinfant
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 婴孩。
    Zhè ge yīng hái hěn kě ài.
    This baby is very cute.
  • 婴孩。
    Tā bào zhe yīng hái.
    She is holding the baby.
  • 婴孩。
    yīng hái Xū yào hěn duō shuì mián.
    Babies need a lot of sleep.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

婴yīnginfant
孩háichild

婴 and 孩 both refer to a young child, and together they name an infant.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 嬰; 婴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
Sound part声符shēngfú
癭
癭yǐng嬰yīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 嬰 pairs 貝, carrying the meaning, with 癭 for the sound; the simplified 婴 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 婴 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
子子zǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài孩hái
Same sound today

In 孩, the left part 子 shows a child, while the right part 亥 supplies the sound.

Open 孩 →
Appears in
Life Stages & Age

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