Japanese dictionary
How to say "child" in Japanese
子どもこども · kodomo
"Child" in Japanese is 子ども (kodomo). When asking about someone else's children, say お子さん (okosan).
▶ plays native audio. Audio on this site plays when you are logged in to your free japanese.ccn.jp account (the same account as Japanese Talk by CCN).
Ways to say "child" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 子どもこども · kodomo | Child. Also written 子供. |
| 子こ · ko | Child; kid (short form). |
| お子さんおこさん · okosan | Someone else's child (polite). |
How to use it
子ども can mean one child or several. To make it clearly plural, say 子どもたち (kodomotachi).
"Do you have children?" is お子さんはいますか (okosan wa imasu ka).
Example sentences
- 子どもが二人います。Kodomo ga futari imasu.I have two children.
- お子さんはおいくつですか。Okosan wa o-ikutsu desu ka.How old is your child?
- 子どもを保育園に送ってから出社します。Kodomo o hoikuen ni okutte kara shussha shimasu.I drop my child off at daycare before going to work.
- 子どもたちが公園で遊んでいます。Kodomotachi ga kōen de asonde imasu.The children are playing in the park.
- 子どもの熱で今日は休みます。Kodomo no netsu de kyō wa yasumimasu.My child has a fever, so I'm taking today off.
- この料理は子どもにも人気です。Kono ryōri wa kodomo ni mo ninki desu.This dish is popular with kids too.
Kanji in this word
Questions
How do you ask about someone's children politely?
Use お子さん (okosan): お子さんはいますか (Do you have children?) and お子さんはおいくつですか (How old is your child?).
What is 子どもの日?
子どもの日 (Kodomo no Hi), May 5, is Children's Day, a national holiday in Japan.
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.