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March 24, 2026
儿童(兒童)értóng(er2tong2)
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.
Frequency#1983DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, 儿童 is often associated with the importance of family and education, reflecting societal values that prioritize the nurturing and development of children. Festivals and events, such as Children's Day on June 1st, celebrate and honor children.
Memory Tip
Think of 儿 (ér) as a child walking, with the shape resembling a small person. The second character 童 (tóng) suggests playfulness, like a child playing with toys. Together, visualize a small child running joyfully in a playground, helping you remember 'children' and the pronunciation.
Meanings of 儿童
értóng(er2tong2)
1child
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About 儿童
儿童Simplified
兒童Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1983Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 儿童
Podcast: 儿童
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AI Study Notes for 儿童
Quick Contrast
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.
Memory Mnemonic
Think of 儿 (ér) as a child walking, with the shape resembling a small person. The second character 童 (tóng) suggests playfulness, like a child playing with toys. Together, visualize a small child running joyfully in a playground, helping you remember 'children' and the pronunciation.
Usage Notes
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).
HSK Study Tips
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.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, 儿童 is often associated with the importance of family and education, reflecting societal values that prioritize the nurturing and development of children. Festivals and events, such as Children's Day on June 1st, celebrate and honor children.
Common Mistakes
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).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 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). 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
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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1
纪律的目的是教育儿童举止得体。
jì lǜ de mù de shì jiào yù ér tóng jǔ zhǐ dé tǐ。
The aim of discipline is to teach children to behave acceptably.
2
儿童汽车坐椅一周的租金才10英镑。
ér tóng qì chē zuò yǐ yī zhōu de zū jīn cái10 10 yīng。
Child car seats only cost about £10 a week to hire.
More than a third of all pedestrian injuries are to children.
5
大多数口吃的儿童长大以后就好了。
dà duō shù kǒu chī de ér tóng cháng dà yǐ hòu jiù hǎo le。
Most children who stammer grow out of it.
6
儿童天生好表现自己。
ér tóng tiān shēng hǎo biǎo xiàn zì jǐ。
Children are natural exhibitionists.
7
虐待儿童案件常常没人举报，或者为缺乏相关知识的公民所忽略。
nüè dài ér tóng àn jiàn cháng cháng méi rén jǔ bào， ， huò zhě wéi quē fá xiāng guān zhī shí de gōng mín suǒ hū。
Cases of child abuse often go unreported or ignored by uninformed citizens.
8
那是对妇女和儿童的大规模屠杀。
nà shì duì fù nǚ hé ér tóng de dà guī mó tú shā。
It was wholesale slaughter of women and children.
9
5%的儿童在某个时期会口吃。
5% 5% de ér tóng zài mǒu gè shí qī huì kǒu。
Five per cent of children stammer at some point.
10
我不想被归类为儿童节目主持人。
wǒ bù xiǎng bèi guī lèi wéi ér tóng jié mù zhǔ chí rén。
I don't want to be pigeonholed as a kids' presenter.
Cultural Notes for 儿童
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, 儿童 is often associated with the importance of family and education, reflecting societal values that prioritize the nurturing and development of children. Festivals and events, such as Children's Day on June 1st, celebrate and honor children.
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).
儿童 is a more formal term often used in official contexts, while 小孩 is more casual and commonly used in everyday conversation.
Yes, 儿童 is appropriate in both formal writing and speaking contexts, but in casual conversation, 小孩 might be preferred.
