子供
kodomo[ko̞do̞mo̞]
The Japanese word for child is 子供 (kodomo), meaning a son, daughter or someone's child. Wiktionary also lists 子 (ko).
Meaning: son or daughter, someone's child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 子供 | kodomo | [ko̞do̞mo̞] (narrow) |
| 子 | ko | [ko̞] (narrow) |
While 子供 is the standard term, you can be more specific: use 息子 to specify a son and 娘 to specify a daughter. To refer to a toddler, the word is 幼児. If you are referring to a parent and child together as a unit, use the term 親子.
Which one should you use?
子供 is the standard, general way to say 'child'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'children', you can add the suffix たち to the end of 子供 to get 子供たち.
How do you pronounce it?
kodomo
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 親の心子知らず。It is a wise father that knows his own child.This sentence shows the use of 子 in a proverb regarding a parent's understanding of their child.Tatoeba #144828 by small_snow, translation #269735 by shekitten
- 私は末っ子です。I'm the youngest child in the family.This sentence uses 子 to describe being the youngest child in a family.Tatoeba #152679 by tommy_san, translation #2236637 by CK
- この子は誰の子？Whose child is this?This sentence uses 子 to ask about the identity of a child.Tatoeba #8764397 by small_snow, translation #8764395 by CK
- 私は美しい子供がいます。I have a beautiful child.
- あの親子は仲がとても良さそうです。That parent and child seem to have a very good relationship.
- 私の赤ちゃんはとてもかわいいです。My baby is very cute.
- 418 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two neighbors talking about their families at a park.
- 陽葵 Himariお子さんは元気ですか？Oko-san wa genki desu ka?Is your child doing well?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、子供は毎日遊んでいます。Hai, kodomo wa mainichi asonde imasu.Yes, my child plays every day.
- 陽葵 Himariそれは素敵なことですね。Sore wa suteki na koto desu ne.That is a wonderful thing.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵さんも、お子さんはいますか？Himari-san mo, oko-san wa imasu ka?Himari, do you have a child too?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations and entries 子供, 子, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 子, 子供, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
