子供
kodomonoun★Beginner— child
general
A young human being, typically below the age of adulthood
子供は学校に行きます
The child goes to school
💡
In Japanese, '子供' can refer to children in general or one's own children. It is a neutral term that doesn't specify gender.
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Gender-neutral term
'子供' is a gender-neutral term. If you want to specify gender, use '少年' (boy) or '少女' (girl).
⚡Gold Rule
Plural form
The plural form of '子供' is '子供たち' (kodomotachi).
📖Word Origin
The kanji '子' means 'child' and '供' means 'to accompany' or 'to serve'. Together, they originally referred to a child who accompanies or serves someone, but the modern meaning is simply 'child'.
📝Usage Notes
While '子供' is the most common word for 'child', '子' alone can also mean 'child' in certain contexts, such as '子供の頃' (when I was a child).
Word Breakdown
子
child
root供
to accompany or serve
root和英辞典