子 zǐ / zi — 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; child
院子里有一棵大树。Yuàn zi lǐ yǒu yì kē dà shù.There is a big tree in the yard.
Common words: 孩子 (hái zi)、儿子 (ér zi)、房子 (fáng zi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "child"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "child", including 子 (zǐ / zi), 子 (zǐ / zi), 孩 (hái), 童 (tóng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "child" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 子 (zǐ / zi), 子 (zǐ / zi), 孩 (hái), 童 (tóng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zǐ, zi, hái, tóng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 子 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 子 zǐ / zi11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; childUseful words: 孩子, 儿子
- 子 zǐ / zi11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; childUseful words: 孩子, 儿子
- 孩 háichildUseful words: 孩子, 女孩儿
- 童 tóng(surname); boy; child; childrenUseful words: 儿童, 童年
Common words for these 4 "child" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 子 (zǐ / zi) — so "child" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "child".
子 zǐ / zi — 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; child
院子里有一棵大树。Yuàn zi lǐ yǒu yì kē dà shù.There is a big tree in the yard.
Common words: 孩子 (hái zi)、儿子 (ér zi)、房子 (fáng zi)
孩 hái — child
这个孩子很懂事。Zhè ge hái zi hěn dǒng shì.This child is very sensible.
Common words: 孩子 (hái zi)、女孩儿 (nǚ hái r)、小孩儿 (xiǎo hái r)
童 tóng — (surname); boy; child; children
童年的快乐时光让人难忘。Tóng nián de kuài lè shí guāng ràng rén nán wàng.The happy times of childhood are unforgettable.
Common words: 儿童 (ér tóng)、童年 (tóng nián)、童话 (tóng huà)
All 4 characters
Open 子、子、孩 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.