孩 is a Chinese character with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
孩 is a later phono-semantic compound, not a pictograph, so it has no early oracle bone attestation in its modern sense. It combines the semantic element 子 (child) with the phonetic 亥 (hài), which supplies the sound.
Form evolution
The components 子 and 亥 appear separately in oracle bone and bronze script, but their combination as 孩 is a seal script era creation. Seal forms show 子 on the left and a pictorial 亥 on the right; clerical and kaishu straighten 亥 into its modern squared shape, producing the standard form used today with no further simplification.
How the meaning evolved
Early texts use 孩 as a verb meaning to smile like an infant, referring to the laughter of a baby. It was then reanalysed as a noun for small child and fused with 子 to form 孩子, which is now the default Mandarin word for child; the verbal sense has dropped out of ordinary use.
Cultural note
The Laozi phrase 如婴儿之未孩 (like an infant who has not yet smiled) preserves the original verbal meaning and is still quoted by scholars. Learners sometimes assume 孩 alone means child, but in modern speech it almost always appears as 孩子 or in compounds like 男孩 and 女孩.
Basic info
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #1426 most common |
Example sentences
小孩子很可爱。
Xiǎo háizi hěn kě'ài.
Little children are very cute.
From 孩子 (HSK 1)
Words containing 孩
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 孩子 | háizi | child | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 孩 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.