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幼稚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
幼稚yòuzhìyoungHSK 7, a, rank #5760, Hard
幼稚yòuzhìchildishHSK 7, a, rank #5760, Hard
幼稚yòuzhìnaiveHSK 7, a, rank #5760, Hard
幼稚yòuzhìpuerileHSK 7, unknown, rank #5760, Hard
yòuzhì(you4zhi4) T4
  1. 1young
  2. 2childish
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March 24, 2026
幼稚yòuzhì(you4zhi4)

幼稚 (you4 zhi4) means 'young' or 'childish,' often referring to behavior or attitudes that are immature or naive. It can describe people, ideas, or actions that lack sophistication or depth, commonly used in both personal and social contexts to critique someone's maturity.

Frequency#5760DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese society, being labeled as 幼稚 can be particularly stigmatizing, especially in professional environments where maturity is valued. This term reflects the cultural emphasis on personal growth and responsibility.

Memory Tip

Imagine a young child (幼) playing with a simple toy (稚). The child is so focused on the toy that they don’t realize it's too childish for their age. The sound 'you' in 幼 sounds like 'young', helping you remember its connection to youth and immaturity.

Meanings of 幼稚

yòuzhì(you4zhi4)
1young
2childish
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 幼稚

幼稚Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#5760Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 幼稚

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Podcast: 幼稚

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AI Study Notes for 幼稚

Quick Contrast

幼稚 (yòuzhì) vs 天真 (tiānzhēn): use 幼稚 for criticizing immaturity or naivety in behavior, while 天真 emphasizes innocence or simplicity without the negative connotation.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a young child (幼) playing with a simple toy (稚). The child is so focused on the toy that they don’t realize it's too childish for their age. The sound 'you' in 幼 sounds like 'young', helping you remember its connection to youth and immaturity.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to use 幼稚 in overly formal contexts, as it can come off as insulting. It commonly collocates with words like '行为' (behavior) or '想法' (idea). Note that the second syllable, 'zhi', should not be pronounced with a rising tone; it is a falling tone.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 幼稚 connects to other advanced vocabulary related to maturity and development. Students should focus on using it in contrasting contexts, such as comparing mature and immature behaviors.

Cultural Note

In Chinese society, being labeled as 幼稚 can be particularly stigmatizing, especially in professional environments where maturity is valued. This term reflects the cultural emphasis on personal growth and responsibility.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 幼稚 with 幼儿 (you4 er2), which means 'toddler' or 'infant.' Remember, 幼稚 refers to childish behavior rather than age. For example, saying '他很幼儿' (He is very toddler) is incorrect; use '他很幼稚' (He is very childish) instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 幼稚

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Component Characters

幼yòuyoung
HSK 45 strokes幺
View full entry
稚zhìinfantile
13 strokes禾
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Write 幼稚

幼
稚

Practice writing 幼稚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 幼稚

幼稚 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 4 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

他还是个毛头小子，____得很，一点都不成熟。

He was a young lad, very green, very immature.

Example Sentences for 幼稚 (8)

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1
他还是个毛头小子，幼稚得很，一点都不成熟。

tā huán shì gè máo tóu xiǎo zǐ， ， yòu zhì dé， hěn ， yī diǎn dū bù。

He was a young lad, very green, very immature.
2
他愤怒地反击，说这些话太过幼稚。

tā fèn nù dì fǎn jī， ， shuō zhè xiē huà tài guò yòu。

He hit back angrily, saying such remarks were childishly simplistic.
3
很幼稚的嗜中性粒细胞的核呈马蹄形,不分叶.

hěn yòu zhì de shì zhōng xìng lì xì bāo de hé chéng mǎ tí xíng, , bù fēn.

The immature neutrophil has a nonsegmented nucleus in shape of a horseshoe.
4
他真没想到如此见多识广的部长竟会这么幼稚。

tā zhēn méi xiǎng dào rú cǐ jiàn duō shí guǎng de bù cháng jìng huì zhè mó yòu zhì。

He had not expected such crudity from so sophisticated a minister.
5
音乐会的组织者指称该乐队的行为愚蠢幼稚。

yīn lè huì de zǔ zhī zhě zhǐ chēng gāi lè duì de háng wéi yú chǔn yòu zhì。

Concert organisers branded the group's actions as puerile.
6
他竟然幼稚得连这种谎言都相信.

tā jìng rán yòu zhì dé lián zhè zhǒng huǎng yán dū xiāng xìn.

He is so naive as to believe such a lie.
7
辛楣 觉得这问题无可猜的幼稚.

xīn méi jué dé zhè wèn tí wú kě cāi de yòu.

Hsin - mei felt the question was naive beyond a doubt.
8
我知道我当初幼稚无知，竟然信任他，可是他真是迷人，把我完全给骗了。

wǒ zhī dào wǒ dāng chū yòu zhì wú zhī， ， jìng rán xìn rèn， tā ， kě shì tā zhēn shì， mí rén ， bǎ wǒ wán quán。

I know I was a naive fool to trust him but he is a real charmer who totally took me in.

Cultural Notes for 幼稚

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese society, being labeled as 幼稚 can be particularly stigmatizing, especially in professional environments where maturity is valued. This term reflects the cultural emphasis on personal growth and responsibility.

Frequently Asked Questions about 幼稚

Yes, you can use 幼稚 to describe someone's work ethic if it seems immature or lacking in seriousness.