Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 幼兒園 / 幼儿园 | yòu'éryuán | |
| 幼稚園 / 幼稚园 | yòuzhìyuán | |
| 托兒所 / 托儿所 | tuō'érsuǒ | Hong Kong, Taiwan, dialectal |
This term refers to a place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 幼兒園 / 幼儿园 (yòu'éryuán) literally means "young child garden".
Which one should you use?
While both 幼兒園 / 幼儿园 and 幼稚園 / 幼稚园 can mean nursery or kindergarten, 幼兒園 / 幼儿园 is more common in Mainland China. In contrast, 幼稚園 / 幼稚园 is the standard term used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Additionally, 托兒所 / 托儿所 (tuō'érsuǒ) specifically refers to a nursery or childcare center for younger infants/toddlers, often implying a more basic care-taking facility compared to a formal kindergarten.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, you can use 幼稚園 / 幼稚园 to refer to a nursery. The term 托兒所 / 托儿所 is also used in Hong Kong and Taiwan to refer to a nursery or childcare center.
How do you pronounce it?
yòu'éryuán
Did you know?
- The term 幼稚 (yòuzhì) inside the word for kindergarten is frequently used as an insult to call someone 'childish' or 'immature' in everyday conversation.
- The word 幼兒園 is a calque, meaning it was created by translating the German word 'Kindergarten' literally into Chinese.
- In the term 托兒所 (tuō'érsuǒ), the verb 托 (tuō) means 'to hold up' or 'to entrust', suggesting the physical act of supporting a child or the act of entrusting them to others.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nursery” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 幼兒園, CC BY-SA 4.0.
