Skip to content
Kotomora

稚

immature, young

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • チ
  • ジ

Kun'yomi

  • いとけない
  • おさない
  • おくて
  • おでる

Nanori

  • まさ
  • わか
  • わく
  • わっか

Meaning

稚 centers on the early stage of life or growth: being young, immature, or not yet fully developed.

Most common words using 稚

20 of 23
  • 幼稚園ようちえん
    N3

    kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school); preschool

  • 幼稚ようち
    N2

    infancy

  • 稚児ちご

    infant; child

  • 稚魚ちぎょ

    fry; juvenile fish; fingerling

  • 稚拙ちせつ

    unskillful; childish; immature; naive; artless; clumsy; crude

  • 稚やや

    baby; child

  • 丁稚でっち

    apprentice; shop boy

  • 幼稚園児ようちえんじ
    N2

    kindergartener; preschooler

  • 丁稚奉公でっちぼうこう

    apprenticeship

  • 幼稚園バスようちえんバス

    school bus (for kindergarten children); kindergarten bus

  • 幼稚園教諭ようちえんきょうゆ

    kindergarten teacher

  • 幼稚園生ようちえんせい

    kindergartener; preschooler

  • 幼稚産業保護論ようちさんぎょうほごろん

    infant-industry argument; theory of infant-industry protection

  • 稚いいとけない

    young; innocent; childlike

  • 稚児百合ちごゆり

    Japanese fairy bells (Disporum smilacinum)

  • 稚児蟹ちごがに

    Ilyoplax pusilla (crab species)

  • 稚児車ちんぐるま

    Sieversia pentapetala (yellow and white rose species)

  • 稚児隼ちごはやぶさ

    northern hobby (Falco subbuteo)

  • 稚内北星学園大学わっかないほくせいがくえんだいがく

    Wakkanai Hokusei Gakuen University

  • 稚気ちき

    childishness; naivete

Explore all words using 稚 →

Study

Etymology

稚 combines 禾 (grain plant) with 隹, which likely contributes the sound and relates to smallness or youth. The idea is of young grain, hence immature or young.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 禾 is a grain plant, and the right side 隹 looks like a small bird. Picture a young grain sprout beside a fledgling bird: both are immature and young.

Reading mnemonic

For チ, imagine a young child trying to eat cheese: cheese -> チ, and the child is still immature.