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child; kid
子供は公園で遊んでいます。
The children are playing in the park.
私の子は5歳です。
My child is five years old.
Can refer to a child in general or one's own child. Often used in compounds like 子供 (kodomo, children).
offspring; descendant
その動物の子は成長が早い。
The animal's offspring grow quickly.
Used in biological or genealogical contexts.
small or young thing (figurative)
この木の子はまだ弱い。
This young tree is still weak.
Used metaphorically for small or young things, not just living beings.
'子' is frequently combined with other words to form compounds like '子供' (kodomo, child) or '子犬' (koinu, puppy).
'子' is gender-neutral and can refer to any child, regardless of gender.
From Old Japanese 'ko', meaning 'child' or 'offspring'. The kanji is a pictograph of a child with legs spread, derived from Chinese.
In modern Japanese, '子' is often used in compounds rather than alone. The standalone form is more common in classical or poetic contexts.