嬰仔 / 婴仔
yīngzǎi
The English phrase 'baby' can be translated into Chinese in several ways. If unsure, use 嬰仔 / 婴仔 (yīngzǎi). Wiktionary also lists 嬰兒 / 婴儿 (yīng'ér) and 娃娃 (wáwa).
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嬰仔 / 婴仔 | yīngzǎi | ||
| 嬰兒 / 婴儿 | yīng'ér | ||
| 娃娃 | wáwa | /wä³⁵ wä³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ua²¹ ua²¹⁻⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 小娃娃 | xiǎowáwa | /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wä³⁵ wä³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɕiau⁵³ ua²¹ ua²¹⁻⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 嬰幼兒 / 婴幼儿 | yīngyòu'ér | ||
| 嬰孩 / 婴孩 | yīnghái | ||
| 嬰 / 婴 | yīng | literary | |
| 嬰仔 / 婴仔 | iⁿ-á, eⁿ-á | Hokkien |
It refers to a very young human being.
Which one should you use?
The term 娃娃 is a colloquial way to refer to a baby, but it can also mean 'doll'. For more formal or official contexts, use 嬰兒 / 婴儿. If you are referring specifically to the demographic age group of infants and toddlers in a technical or administrative sense, use 嬰幼兒 / 婴幼儿.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Hokkien dialect, the term for baby is 嬰仔 / 婴仔. In Northern and Eastern China, 娃娃 is a popular term for a baby. In the Dungan language, you can use вава or ва.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 嬰仔 / 婴仔 is pronounced iⁿ-á or eⁿ-á.
Did you know?
- The character for 嬰 contains a radical that historically referred to 'wrapping' or 'binding', reflecting the ancient custom of tightly swaddling a baby.
- Chinese culture often uses 'milk names' 乳名, which are temporary nicknames given to a 嬰兒 that are used only within the family until the child is old enough for a formal name.
- In many Chinese dialects, the word for 'baby' is often a reduplicated term, such as 寶寶 / 宝宝, where repeating the character makes the word sound more affectionate and 'cute' to the listener.
Examples in context
- 你的小宝贝长得真可爱！Your baby is so cute!
- 宝宝，你真棒！Baby, you're amazing!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries 娃娃, 小娃娃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
