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March 24, 2026
孩hái(hai2)
The character 孩 (hái) refers to a child or baby, often used to denote young children or offspring. It can be used in various contexts, such as discussing family, education, or even in expressions of affection towards youngsters.
Strokes9Radical子Frequency#7235DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, children are often seen as a source of joy and are highly valued, which is reflected in the frequent use of terms like 孩 in familial contexts. The celebration of children's milestones is also an important cultural practice.
Memory Tip
Imagine a small child (孩) playing with a toy that looks like a house (家), emphasizing their innocence and playfulness. The pronunciation 'hái' can be remembered by associating it with the sound of a child laughing or calling out.
Meanings of 孩
hái(hai2)
1child
2baby, child; children
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 孩
孩Simplified
9Strokes
子Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7235Frequency Rank
Podcast: 孩
Podcast: 孩
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AI Study Notes for 孩
Quick Contrast
孩 (hái) vs 儿 (ér) — use 孩 for a broader term referring to children, while 儿 often implies a more informal or affectionate term for a child.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 孩 with similar-sounding characters like 还 (hái, meaning 'still' or 'also'). It's typically used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal discussions about children. Be careful with the tone; the third tone can change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Although 孩 is not an HSK level word, it is useful to know for discussing family and daily life. Students can connect this word with other HSK vocabulary related to family, such as 妈妈 (māma, mother) and 爸爸 (bàba, father), to build a broader understanding of family-related terms.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 孩 with 孩子 (háizi), which means 'child' as well, but is more commonly used in everyday speech. It's important to remember that 孩 can stand alone, but 孩子 is more frequently used in conversation.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 孩
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Phonosemantic compound. 子 represents the meaning and 亥 represents the sound.
1The meaning half子 carries the sense.
2The sound half亥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaychild
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 孩? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 孩?
Decomposition of 孩
IDS Structure⿰子亥
孩Full Character
=
子zi3
left
亥hai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 孩?
How to say child in Chinese
“child” in Chinese is孩hái
The character 孩 (hái) refers to a child or baby, often used to denote young children or offspring. It can be used in various contexts, such as discussing family, education, or even in expressions of affection towards youngsters.
When to use 孩
Common mistakes include confusing 孩 with similar-sounding characters like 还 (hái, meaning 'still' or 'also'). It's typically used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal discussions about children. Be careful with the tone; the third tone can change the meaning.
孩 or something close to it
孩 (hái) vs 儿 (ér) — use 孩 for a broader term referring to children, while 儿 often implies a more informal or affectionate term for a child.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 孩 with 孩子 (háizi), which means 'child' as well, but is more commonly used in everyday speech. It's important to remember that 孩 can stand alone, but 孩子 is more frequently used in conversation.
Write 孩
孩
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Practice writing 孩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 孩
孩 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
