子女 zǐnǚ children
children; sons and daughters
How to remember 子女: 子 child + 女 woman = children.
Characters
How it is used
- Formal collective for one's children (sons and daughters), from the parents' side: 子女教育 (zǐnǚ jiàoyù) raising and educating children.
- Contrast 孩子 (háizi), the everyday "kid(s)"; 子女 is the offspring-of-parents term used in documents and serious talk.
- Common: 独生子女 only child.
Example sentences
- 动物都有保护子女的天性。 Dòngwù dōu yǒu bǎohù zǐnǚ de tiānxìng.It's in animals' nature to protect their young.
- 父母承担教育子女的责任。 Fùmǔ chéngdān jiàoyù zǐnǚ de zérèn.Parents are responsible for their children's education.