Japanese kanji 童: children, tales and songs

The idea

童 has 12 strokes; follow the linked diagram. In 児童（じどう）, 童話（どうわ） and 童謡（どうよう）, read 童 as どう. Learn each reading with its whole word.

Examples

• 児童じどうたちは図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よんでいます。The children are reading books in the library.
• この童話どうわは世界中せかいじゅうで愛あいされています。This fairy tale is loved around the world.
• 祖母そぼは私わたしに童謡どうようを歌うたってくれました。My grandmother sang me a children’s song.
• 学校がっこうは児童じどうの保護者ほごしゃを招待しょうたいしました。The school invited the children’s parents.
• 妹いもうとに童話どうわを読よみました。I read a fairy tale to my younger sister.
• みんなで童謡どうようを歌うたいました。We sang a children’s song together.

Watch out

児童 often refers to schoolchildren in formal contexts; 子ども is the ordinary everyday word for a child. 童話 is a story, whereas 童謡 is a song.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 児童 in hiragana.

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   じどう

   児童 is じどう: it refers to children, often schoolchildren. Notice the initial じ in the complete word.

2. Write the reading of 童謡 in hiragana.

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   どうよう

   童謡 is どうよう, a children’s song. Both vowels in どう and よう are long.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿話（どうわ）［童／動］.

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   童

   童 makes 童話（どうわ）, a fairy tale. 動 also reads どう in some words but means movement.

Use it today

Write 童 using the diagram, cover the table and read the three words. Then make a sentence about a story or song.