How to say "children" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 子供こどもnounThe everyday word for a child or children; Japanese does not mark plural here, so it covers both one child and several, with 子供たち available when you want the plural explicit.あなたには何人子供がいますか。↗How many children do you have?
- 児童じどうnounChildren in official, legal and educational writing, which is where the 'juvenile' gloss comes from; not the natural choice for everyday talk about someone's children.
- 子弟していnounA literary word for the children of a family, especially sons and younger brothers; for everyday 'children' it is seldom the word you want.
- 子供たちこどもたちnounThe plural form of 子供, used when you mean more than one child; it covers the same ground as English 'children' or 'kids' for a group.
- 子女しじょnounChildren viewed as a person's sons and daughters, typically one's own; a written word, so it appears in formal documents and announcements rather than conversation.
Use 子供 for a child or children in general and 「子供たち」 for an explicit plural; 児童 belongs to official and educational writing, 子女 to formal references to sons and daughters, and 子弟 is literary.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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