Readings: ドウ (Onyomi), わらべ (Kunyomi)
Meaning: child, juvenile
The kanji 童 is composed of 立 (tatsu, meaning “stand”) and 里 (ri, meaning “village” or “unit of measurement”). Originally, it depicted a young person standing in a village, likely a servant or child. Over time, its meaning evolved to primarily mean “child”.
View JLPT N2 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 童 consists of 12 strokes. Start with the top radical 立, followed by the strokes for 里 at the bottom.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 立 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N2 |
| Grade | 6 |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- ドウ (Dou)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- わらべ (warabe)
Common Words Using 童
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 児童 | じどう | children, juvenile |
| 童話 | どうわ | fairy tale, children’s story |
| 童貞 | どうてい | virginity, male virgin |
| 童顔 | どうがん | baby face, youthful face |
| 学童 | がくどう | school children |
| 神童 | しんどう | child prodigy |
| 童心 | どうしん | childlike innocence |
| 童謡 | どうよう | children’s song, nursery rhyme |
| 童話集 | どうわしゅう | collection of fairy tales |
| 童話作家 | どうわさっか | children’s story writer |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 童 | わらべ | child, juvenile (often poetic/archaic) |
| 童歌 | わらべうた | children’s song, nursery rhyme |
| 童女 | わらべめ | young girl (archaic, literary) |
| 童子 | わらべ | child, acolyte (literary/historical context) |
| 童心 | わらべごころ | childlike innocence (less common) |
| 童絵 | わらべえ | children’s drawing/painting (niche) |
| 童形 | わらべがた | childlike form/appearance (literary/historical) |
| 童遊 | わらべあそび | children’s play (less common) |
| 童部 | わらべ | children (plural, archaic) |
| 童顔 | わらべがお | baby face, youthful face (less common than どうがん) |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 日本の多くの児童は学校で英語を学んでいます。
Kana: にほんのおおくのじどうはがっこうでえいごをまなんでいます。
Romaji: Nihon no ooku no jidou wa gakkou de eigo o manandeimasu.
English: Many children in Japan learn English at school.
Japanese: 彼女は子供たちに童話を読み聞かせた。
Kana: かのじょはこどもたちにどうわをよみきかせた。
Romaji: Kanojo wa kodomotachi ni douwa o yomikikaseta.
English: She read a fairy tale to the children.
Japanese: 昔々、この村には元気なわらべたちがたくさんいました。
Kana: むかしむかし、このむらにはげんきなわらべたちがたくさんいました。
Romaji: Mukashi mukashi, kono mura ni wa genki na warabetachi ga takusan imashita.
English: Once upon a time, there were many energetic children in this village.
Japanese: 放課後、学童クラブで宿題をします。
Kana: ほうかご、がくどうクラブでしゅくだいをします。
Romaji: Houkago, gakudou kurabu de shukudai o shimasu.
English: After school, I do my homework at the after-school care club.
Japanese: あの人はいくつになっても童心を忘れない。
Kana: あのひとはいくつになってもどうしんをわすれない。
Romaji: Ano hito wa ikutsu ni nattemo doushin o wasurenai.
English: That person never loses their childlike innocence, no matter how old they get.
Japanese: 彼は幼い頃からピアノの神童と呼ばれていた。
Kana: かれはおさないころからピアノのしんどうとよばれていた。
Romaji: Kare wa osanai koro kara piano no shindou to yobareteita.
English: He was called a piano prodigy from a young age.
Japanese: 日本の童謡はメロディーが美しいものが多いです。
Kana: にほんのどうようはメロディーがうつくしいものがおおいです。
Romaji: Nihon no douyou wa merodii ga utsukushii mono ga ooi desu.
English: Many Japanese children’s songs have beautiful melodies.
Japanese: 彼は３０代なのに童顔なので、よく学生に間違われる。
Kana: かれはさんじゅうだいなのにどうがんなので、よくがくせいにまちがわれる。
Romaji: Kare wa sanjuudai nano ni dougan nano de, yoku gakusei ni machigawareru.
English: Even though he’s in his 30s, he has a baby face, so he’s often mistaken for a student.
Japanese: 彼女は児童文学の作家として有名です。
Kana: かのじょはじどうぶんがくのさっかとしてゆうめいです。
Romaji: Kanojo wa jidou bungaku no sakka to shite yuumei desu.
English: She is famous as a children’s literature author.
Japanese: 彼のグループは、童心をくすぐる企画で人気を集めている。
Kana: かのグループは、どうしんをくすぐるきかくでにんきをあつめている。
Romaji: Kare no guruupu wa, doushin o kusuguru kikaku de ninki o atsumeteiru.
English: His group is gaining popularity with projects that appeal to a childlike sense of wonder.
Related Grammar & kanji list
Expand your study with grammar and kanji lists for other JLPT levels:
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.