子こ供ども

こ

ど

も

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

noun

General term for a young person, one's own offspring, or a group of children. Can be used in both singular and plural contexts.

公こう園えんで子こ供どもたちが遊あそんでいる。
Children are playing in the park.
彼かれはまだ子こ供どもだ。
He is still a child.

Written forms

子こ供どもUsage51%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general use.
子こどもUsage47%
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling, often preferred in official or educational contexts.
こどもUsage3%
コドモUsage<1%
子こ共どもUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.
小こ供どもUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.

Kanji

子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
供submit, offer, present
共together, both, neither
小

Similar words

子こ
More formal or literary; often used in compounds or as a suffix, while 子供 is the everyday word for 'child'.
幼よう児じ
Specifically refers to an infant or toddler, younger than a 子供.
少しょう年ねん
Refers to a boy, typically elementary to middle school age, whereas 子供 is gender-neutral.

Etymology

Compound of 子 (こ, 'child') and 供 (とも, 'companion' or 'attendant'). The original meaning was 'child attendant' or 'children accompanying adults', but it evolved into the general word for 'child'.

little, small