A somewhat formal or literary term for a young boy or child. In modern everyday speech, 男の子 or 子供 are more common.
In old tales, a boy often appears.
The child had an intelligent-looking face.
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form for this word.
Rarely used kanji form; learners are unlikely to encounter it.
Composed of 童 (child) and 子 (child). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used to refer to a young boy.