How to say "infant" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 赤ちゃんあかちゃんnounThe everyday word for a baby, and the default choice when 'infant' simply means a very young child, as when talking about your own or someone else's baby.
- 幼子おさなごnounCovers an infant or baby but stretches to a little child; it has a literary, tender flavor, so it suits written or emotional contexts more than everyday conversation.
- 小児しょうにnounMeans a young child or infant, but you will meet it chiefly in medical and technical writing rather than in everyday speech, so it is rarely the word for talking about a baby.
- 赤ん坊あかんぼうnounAnother everyday word for a baby, essentially interchangeable with 赤ちゃん though with a slightly more casual ring; fine for talking about an infant in ordinary conversation.うちの赤ん坊は口をきくようになってきました。↗Our baby is learning to speak.
- 赤子あかごnounA dated word for a baby or infant; in ordinary speech it is seldom the word you want, since 赤ちゃん or 赤ん坊 is used instead, and it belongs mainly to older writing.
For a baby in everyday speech choose 「赤ちゃん」 or 「赤ん坊」; 幼子 is a tender, literary word that can also mean a little child; 小児 is the medical and technical term; 赤子 is dated.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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