Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
幼少 (ようしょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Meanings 1
noun, na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
infancy ; childhood ; tender age
Refers to the period of being very young, typically up to around elementary school age. Often used in formal or written descriptions of one's early years.
少しょう
期き
の
思おも
い
出で
は
ほとんど
残のこ
っ
て
い
ない
。
I have few memories of my infancy.
Similar words 幼よう 年ねん 幼年 also means childhood but is more commonly used in compounds like 幼年期 (childhood period) and can sound slightly more technical.
子こ 供ども 時じ 代だい 子供時代 is a more everyday term for one's childhood years, while 幼少 is more formal and often emphasizes the very early years.
Etymology Compound of 幼 (young, infant) and 少 (few, little, young). The combination emphasizes the state of being very young.
