小孩 (xiǎo hái) — child, kid (classifier: 个) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial 'kid, child' — everyday spoken usage, neutral for any young child. 儿童 is the formal/written term (signs, reports); 孩子 is broader and also covers 'one's own children' in family context.

noun

childkid (classifier: 个)

Measure word · 个

Examples

小孩。
Zhè ge xiǎo hái hěn cōng ming.
This child is very smart.
小孩。
xiǎo hái Men dōu xǐ huan zài gōng yuán lǐ wán.
Children all like to play in the park.
小孩。
Tā shì yí gè hěn kě ài de xiǎo hái.
She is a very cute child.

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.

小 adds “little” to 孩 “child”, giving a child.

Characters in this word

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

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

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

亥hài孩hái

Same sound today

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

Appears in

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