幼子 (yòu zǐ) — youngest son; young (of an animal); cub; pup; (literary) young child; youth

Definition

Literary/formal word. In classical texts it simply means 'young child' or 'young of an animal'; in family contexts it specifically denotes the youngest son, often with an heir's weight.

noun
youngest sonyoung (of an animal)cubpup(literary) young childyouth
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 幼子，。
    Tā shì jiā lǐ de yòu zǐ, fù mǔ duì tā gé wài téng ài.
    He is the youngest son of the family, so his parents are especially fond of him.
  • 幼子。
    Mǔ shī zhèng bǎo hù zì jǐ de yòu zǐ miǎn shòu wēi xié.
    The lioness is protecting her cubs from threats.
  • ：‘，幼子。’
    Gǔ yǔ yǒu yún: 'lǎo wú lǎo yǐ jí rén zhī lǎo, yòu wú yòu yǐ jí rén zhī yòu zǐ.'
    An ancient saying goes: 'Extend respect for the aged to the aged of others; extend care for the young to the young of others.'

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.

幼yòuyoung
子zǐchild

幼 (young) + 子 (child): youngest son or young offspring.

Characters in this word

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

幼 is built from 幺, shown as tiny, and 力, shown as strength. 幺 may also contribute the sound.

Open 幼 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.