Onyomi: ヨウ · Kunyomi: おさな.い · Meanings: childhood, infancy
Kanji for childhood, infancy
Fast lookup with examples and clean stroke-order visualization.
Experience 幼 in 3D! View the complete 3D Kanji model to understand its shape and stroke depth from every angle. Click the button below to see 幼 in 3D and explore how each stroke forms this character.
Please support us by sharing!
幼 is made from the thread radical 糸 and the power radical 力. A child is small and weak but is supported and guided by others. The idea of little strength and growing life came together, so 幼 came to mean young or childhood.
幼 means being young and not yet strong.
Imagine a small child ????, with little strength but tied closely to others for support. That young age is 幼.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 幼 | よう | infancy, childhood, infant, child | Noun |
| 幼 | いと | young child (esp. a young girl) | Noun |
| 幼稚園 | ようちえん | kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school), preschool | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 幼い | おさない | very young, little | common JLPT-N3 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 幼児 | ようじ | young child, toddler | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 幼稚 | ようち | infancy | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 幼少 | ようしょう | infancy, childhood, tender age | common Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 幼なじみ | おさななじみ | childhood friend, friend from infancy, old playmate | common Noun |
| 幼年時代 | ようねんじだい | childhood | Noun |
| 幼女 | ようじょ | little girl | Noun |