Meanings of 儿童
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Podcast: 儿童
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AI study notes for 儿童
少年 (shàonián) refers to adolescents and is used for older children, typically those in their teenage years, while 儿童 (értóng) specifically refers to younger children.
Be careful to use 儿童 in contexts that require a formal tone, as it might be inappropriate in casual conversations where '小孩' (xiǎo hái) is more common. Common collocations include '儿童教育' (ér tóng jiàoyù - children's education) and '儿童健康' (ér tóng jiànkāng - child health).
As an HSK 4 vocabulary word, 儿童 connects with other terms related to family and age, like 家庭 (jiātíng - family) and 青少年 (qīngshàonián - teenager). Students should focus on understanding context and usage in both spoken and written forms.
Learners often confuse 儿童 with 小孩, leading to incorrect usage in informal settings. For instance, saying '我有两个儿童' (wǒ yǒu liǎng gè ér tóng) is less natural than '我有两个小孩' (wǒ yǒu liǎng gè xiǎo hái).
Pronunciation of 儿童
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Component characters
How to say child in Chinese
“child” in Chinese is儿童
儿童 (ér tóng) refers to children, typically those who are not yet adolescents. This term is commonly used in educational, healthcare, and social contexts to discuss matters related to minors. It denotes a specific age group and is often used in formal discussions about children's rights, education, and welfare.
When to use 儿童
Be careful to use 儿童 in contexts that require a formal tone, as it might be inappropriate in casual conversations where '小孩' (xiǎo hái) is more common. Common collocations include '儿童教育' (ér tóng jiàoyù - children's education) and '儿童健康' (ér tóng jiànkāng - child health).
儿童 or something close to it
少年 (shàonián) refers to adolescents and is used for older children, typically those in their teenage years, while 儿童 (értóng) specifically refers to younger children.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 儿童 with 小孩, leading to incorrect usage in informal settings. For instance, saying '我有两个儿童' (wǒ yǒu liǎng gè ér tóng) is less natural than '我有两个小孩' (wǒ yǒu liǎng gè xiǎo hái).
Write 儿童
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Grammar patterns of 儿童
儿童 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). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Fill the gap
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纪律的目的是教育____举止得体。
The aim of discipline is to teach children to behave acceptably.
Example sentences for 儿童 (10)
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Frequently asked questions about 儿童
Yes, 儿童 can be used to refer to children generally, but it is more formal compared to other terms like 小孩 (xiǎo hái).
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