孩子 (hái zi) — child | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The everyday spoken word for 'child'. 儿童 is more formal and written; 小孩儿 is a casual variant of the same word.

noun

child

Measure word · 个

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

孩 means “child”, and 子 makes the ordinary word for a child.

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.

子亥孩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

Same sound today

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

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.

Appears in