少儿

• Pinyin: shào ér
• Hanzi breakdown: 少 = small, few, young; 儿 = child — children/juveniles

Meaning

Children; juveniles; young people. A formal term for people roughly aged 3-14.

A compound term covering both younger children (少年) and kids (儿童). Commonly used in official contexts like 少儿频道 (children's channel), 少儿图书 (children's books), and 少儿教育 (children's education). More formal than 小孩 or 孩子.

Examples

1. 这套书专门为少儿读者编写。 This book series was written specifically for young readers.
2. 少儿频道播出的节目都经过严格筛选。 Programs on the children's channel are all strictly screened.
3. 图书馆设有专门的少儿阅览区。 The library has a dedicated children's reading area.

Usage Guide

Context: education, media, official

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 这是少儿版的。(This is the children's version.)
• 少儿不宜。(Not suitable for children.)

Don't Say

• 日常对话用'孩子'更自然 (In everyday conversation, use 孩子 or 小孩 — 少儿 sounds official)

Origin & History

Compound of 少 (young) + 儿 (child). 少年 refers to teens while 儿童 refers to younger children; 少儿 encompasses both.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal