ChiramiN5 kanji · 3 strokes
子 means child
子
子Real origin
A baby with its arms out and its legs wrapped up: child.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meaning
- child
- JLPT level
- N5
- Strokes
- 3
- School grade
- Grade 1 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) こ ko
こ (ko) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: ね ne
From Chinese (onyomi) シ shi
シ (shi) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: ス su, ツ tsu
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
子供 こども · kodomo
child, children
Used in 23 kanji
See all 4 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 子 mean?
Right: 子 means child.Not quite: 子 means child.In 子供, which reading does 子 use?
Right. 子供 is read こども (kodomo): 子 takes こ, its Japanese reading.Not quite. 子供 is read こども (kodomo): 子 takes こ, its Japanese reading.