小孩儿 (xiǎoháir) · child

小孩儿 (xiǎoháir) means “child”. It is written with 3 characters: 小 (small) + 孩 (child) + 儿 (child). It is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 小孩儿 is built

The characters

小 xiǎo · small

What 小 is made of

亅 — hook
八bā — eight

Origin hint: Dividing 八 by a line 亅 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

孩 hái · child

What 孩 is made of

子zǐ — child
- 了liǎo / le — finish
  - 乛 — bent stroke
  - 亅 — hook
- 一 — horizontal stroke
亥hài — 12th terrestrial branch
- 亠tóu — lid
  - 丶 — dot
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: 子 gives the meaning, 亥 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

儿 ér · child

What 儿 is made of

丿 — falling stroke
乚 — hook stroke

Origin hint: Simplified form of 兒, a picture of a child; compare 人 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

那个小孩儿在笑。Nàge xiǎoháir zài xiào.That child is smiling.

你家有小孩儿吗？Nǐ jiā yǒu xiǎoháir ma?Do you have children?

Questions about 小孩儿

What does 小孩儿 mean?

小孩儿 (xiǎoháir) means “child”.

How do you pronounce 小孩儿?

小孩儿 is pronounced xiǎoháir.

Which HSK level is 小孩儿?

小孩儿 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).

Related words

Learn 小孩儿 with its group

It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 13: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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