孩子

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 孩子 (háizi) for "child" is a compound character composed of two simpler characters: 儿 (ér) and 子 (zǐ). The character 儿 (ér) originally meant "small" or "young" and was often used as a suffix to indicate a younger person or a child. The character 子 (zǐ) originally meant "seed" or "offspring" and was used to refer to children in a more general sense. Over time, the two characters were combined to form the compound character 孩子 (háizi), which specifically refers to a child or a young person. The word 孩子 is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to refer to children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. It can also be used in a more affectionate or endearing way to refer to a child or a young person who is close to the speaker.