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道Nihongo Path
童

童·child, juvenile

On-yomi
ドウ
Kun-yomi
わらべ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
児童じどうchildren, schoolchildren
童話どうわchildren's story, fairy tale
学童がくどうschoolchild
童顔どうがんbaby face

Example sentences

  1. 子どもの時、童話が好きでした。

    こどものとき、どうわがすきでした。

    When I was a child, I liked fairy tales.

  2. この公園は児童のために作られた。

    このこうえんはじどうのためにつくられた。

    This park was built for children.

  3. 彼は三十歳だが童顔で若く見える。

    かれはさんじゅっさいだがどうがんでわかくみえる。

    He's thirty, but he has a baby face and looks young.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 児童 as じどお instead of じどう
  • Using 童 in ordinary conversation — everyday Japanese says 子ども; 児童 is official or school language

Memory aid

Picture it

Someone standing (立) on top of the heavy stack of 重 — a small figure trying to look big.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 童 mean?