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幼児 (ようじ, youji) Japanese meaning: young child | Kotomora
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Young children are playing in the park.
I bought a picture book for toddlers.
Usage patterns 幼よう 児じ 向む けの 〈 物もの 〉 something designed for toddlers
I bought a picture book meant for toddlers.
幼よう 児じ を 預あず ける to leave a toddler in someone's care
I leave my toddler at daycare while I work.
幼よう 児じ がいる to have a young child (in a household)
There are two toddlers in this household.
Kanji 児 newborn babe, child, young of animals Related words· 11 赤ちゃん refers to a baby, usually under age 1, while 幼児 covers slightly older children roughly from age 1 to 6.
子供 is a broad, everyday word for a child of any age, whereas 幼児 specifically denotes early childhood before school age.
児童 is the legal/administrative term for a school-age child, in contrast to 幼児 which legally means a child from age 1 up to school age.
乳児 refers to an infant still nursing, typically younger than the age range covered by 幼児.
Show 7 more 幼児 is the common, freely used word for a young child, while 幼 is a bound literary form that appears almost only in the fixed phrase 幼にして.
幼児 refers only to preschool-aged children (roughly 1–6 years old), while 乳幼児 is the broader term covering both 乳児 and 幼児.
幼児 is the standard, technical term for a young child (used in official/medical contexts), while 幼子 carries a softer, more literary or affectionate tone.
幼児 specifically means a toddler or infant before school age, whereas 小児 can cover a wider medical age range up to adolescence.
Don't confuse with 幼稚 shares the kanji 幼 with 幼児 but means 'childish/immature' rather than referring to an actual young child.
幼児 is a gender-neutral term for a young child (boy or girl), while 幼女 specifically means a young girl.
胎児 is a baby still developing inside the womb, whereas 幼児 is a young child who has already been born, typically a toddler or preschooler.
Counted with 幼児 is counted with 人, the standard counter for people, as in 幼児二人 (two toddlers).
Used especially in formal or seating/reservation contexts; 人 is the more general choice.
Word family· 15 infants and toddlers; babies and preschool children
combined daycare and kindergarten
child marriage; infant marriage
Etymology Compound of 幼 (young, immature) and 児 (child). The reading ようじ is the standard on'yomi combination.
幼児 is the neutral, everyday term for an infant or toddler, whereas いと is an archaic literary word for a young child.
幼児 is a general age-based term for a young child (roughly 1–6 years old) regardless of whether they attend any facility, while 園児 specifically refers to a child enrolled in a kindergarten or nursery school.
赤ん坊 refers to a newborn up to about age one, while 幼児 refers to a somewhat older young child, roughly ages one to six.
幼児 (young child) is an exact homophone of 用事 (errand) but means something completely different.
き
Show 6 more food for young children; toddler meals
preschool education; early childhood education
infanticide
infant baptism; pedobaptism
child abuse (young child)
infantile regression