Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 娃娃 | wáwa |
| 玩偶 | wán'ǒu |
| 人形 | rénxíng |
| 洋娃娃 | yángwáwa |
The term for a doll in Chinese varies depending on the specific type of toy you are describing. While 娃娃 is the standard term for a child's doll, 玩偶 is a more general or formal way to refer to any small toy figure or figurine, which may or may not be human-shaped. If you are specifically talking about a doll that looks like a Western-style child, you should use 洋娃娃. Additionally, 人形 is used as an adjective to describe something as being human-shaped, such as in the phrase 人形玩偶 (human-shaped doll).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 娃娃 can also be used colloquially to mean a baby or a small child.
Which one should you use?
娃娃 is the common word used for a child's doll. In contrast, 玩偶 is a formal term used to refer to various types of dolls or figurines, including those that are not human-shaped. 洋娃娃 is a colloquial term specifically used for Western-style dolls that look like Western children, as opposed to traditional Chinese dolls.
How do you pronounce it?
wáwa
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest that the pronunciation of 娃娃 might actually mimic the rhythmic sounds of a baby's cry or cooing.
- The character 洋 in 洋娃娃 literally means 'ocean', which is used here to imply something coming from overseas.
- The word 玩偶 contains the character 偶, which can also mean 'accidental' or 'by chance', reflecting an ancient view of figurines as artificial mimics of life.
Examples in context
- 女孩凝视着洋娃娃。The girl was gazing at the doll.The sentence shows a girl gazing at a 娃娃.Tatoeba #1416159 by sadhen, translation #46439 by CK
- 她有个漂亮的洋娃娃。She has a pretty doll.The sentence describes someone possessing a pretty 娃娃.Tatoeba #2027985 by ydcok, translation #316621 by CK
- 母亲给我做了一个娃娃。Mother made me a doll.The sentence is used to describe a mother making a 娃娃.Tatoeba #4270139 by notabene, translation #6292778 by zzz
- 这是一个玩偶This is a doll.
- 我有一个洋娃娃I have a doll.
- 我喜欢玩娃娃I like playing with dolls.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A young girl is playing in the living room with her toys.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，这个娃娃是谁的？Xiǎowén, zhège wáwa shì shéi de?Xiaowen, whose doll is this?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这是我最喜欢的娃娃。Zhè shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de wáwa.This is my favorite doll.
- 浩然 Haoran它看起来很可爱。Tā kàn qǐlái hěn kě'ài.It looks very cute.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢，浩然。Xièxiè, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “doll” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 娃娃, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
