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幼子 (おさなご) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Meanings 1
noun
infant ; baby ; little child
Refers to a very young child, typically from newborn to toddler age. Often used in literary or formal contexts, but also in everyday speech with a gentle tone.
See also: 幼児 (ようじ)
That little child cannot walk yet.
Written forms 幼おさな 子ご Usage 80%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority in news and common usage.
幼おさ な 子ご Usage 20%
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common but still encountered.
幼おさな 児ご
This kanji form is usually read ようじ; reading it おさなご is rare and may cause confusion.
Kanji 子 child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM 児 newborn babe, child, young of animals Similar words 幼よう 児じ 幼児 (ようじ) is the more common and technical term for 'infant' or 'toddler', while 幼子 (おさなご) has a softer, more literary or affectionate nuance.
赤あか ちゃん 赤ちゃん is the everyday word for 'baby', while 幼子 is more formal or poetic.
Etymology Compound of 幼 (おさな, 'very young') + 子 (こ, 'child'), with rendaku voicing こ → ご. The kanji 幼子 directly reflects the meaning.
