(hái) — (bound form) child; used in compound nouns

Definition

孩 is a bound form meaning 'child', always paired with 子 or another suffix (孩子, 小孩). It never stands alone in modern Chinese.

bound form
childused in compound nouns

Examples

  • Zhè ge hái zi hěn cōng ming.
    This child is very smart.
  • Nán hái tōng cháng bǐ jiào huó pō.
    Boys are usually more active.
  • Xiǎo hái bù néng yí gè rén guò mǎ lù.
    Kids can't cross the street alone.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
hàihái
Same sound today

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

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