Meaning
孩子 is the most common and neutral word for 'child' in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to young people from infancy through adolescence, and can be used for both boys and girls. The word carries a warm, everyday tone and is used by parents, teachers, and adults in general when talking about or to young people.
Usage
Native speakers use 孩子 in both formal and informal contexts. Parents commonly refer to their own children as 孩子 or 我的孩子 (my child/children). In spoken Chinese, it often appears in phrases like 小孩子 (little child) or 大孩子 (older child/big kid). When addressing someone directly, adults might say 孩子 affectionately to a young person, similar to 'child' or 'dear' in English.
Examples
- 01她有两个孩子，一个儿子一个女儿。, '.She has two children, one son and one daughter.
- 02孩子们在公园里玩得很开心。.The children are playing happily in the park.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个孩子
- 名两名孩子
Common collocations
- 小孩子little child
- 孩子们children (plural)
- 带孩子to take care of children
- 生孩子to give birth, to have a baby
Antonyms
Origin
The character 孩 originally depicted a child, while 子 is a common noun suffix in Chinese that also means 'child' or 'son' on its own. Together they form a compound that emphasizes the concept of childhood.