Childhood and small things with 子
子 means child. It can refer to a son or daughter, a young person, or someone’s offspring.
In words such as 電子, 子 takes a different turn and marks something tiny.
The kanji also appears as borrowed from Chinese where it acts as a noun-forming suffix.
Etymology
The old forms of 子 picture a small child.
Appearance
様子 (State)
様子 is how someone or something looks, seems, or is doing. It can describe a person’s condition, the mood of a place, or the state of a situation.
It combines 様 (appearance) with 子 (aspect) to show the way something looks.
As she models for a sketch, Lulu recalls seeing Hideki blowing flower petals into the air. She brings it up to him.
- 秀樹:
- 「花弁が舞う様子を検察していたんだ」
- “I was observing the petals as they danced.”
- 「観察を重ねた先に独自の解釈や表現が生まれる」
- “Through repeated observation, unique interpretations and expressions emerge.”
- “I was observing the petals as they danced.”
Children
子供 (Child)
子供 is the everyday word for a child. It can also refer to children as a group.
It combines 子 (child) with 供 (accompany) to show a young child attending adults.
Oyaji presented Colors with a bomb to defuse via a riddle, which led to problems for Officer Saitou. After Colors successfully defuses the bomb, Saitou tells Oyaji to stop playing bothersome games.
- おやじ:
- 「子供のためだ。お前が迷惑被ろうと知ったことか」
- “It's for the kids. I don't care if it will cause you trouble.”
女子 (Girl)
女子 labels girls or women as a group or category.
It combines 女 (female) with 子 (child) to show a female child.
On a nighttime walk, Hamaguchi sees Hokujou casually dressed and wearing glasses. She’s fine with Hamaguchi seeing her like this, as they’ve known each other for a long time, but she tells him not to tell their classmates. At school the next morning…
- 高尾:
- 「おい 昨日浜口が、メガネ女子と夜に会ってたらしいぞ！」
- “Hey, I heard Hamaguchi was hanging out with a girl in glasses last night!”
- 生徒Ａ:
- 「見た目子供っぽかったって聞いたぞ。」
- “I heard she looked kind of childish.”
- 生徒Ｂ:
- 「後輩か何かか、浜口。」
- “Is she a junior or something, Hamaguchi?”
- 浜口:
- 「い… いやー…」
- “Uh... well...”
迷子 (Lost child)
迷子 is someone who is lost, especially a child separated from an adult. It can also describe a lost pet or someone who does not know where to go.
It combines 迷 (lost) with 子 (child) to show a child who has lost the way.
Akari encounters an older gentleman looking for a police box, so he can report his missing daughter and son-in-law. Akari offers to take him around and see if they can find the couple. Once they are reunited, the daughter thanks Akari for finding her father.
- 娘:
- 「迷子になった父の相手をするの大変でしたでしょ？」
- “It must have been tough dealing with my dad when he got lost, right?”
- 「本当ガンコおやじで…」
- “He really is a stubborn old man...”
- “It must have been tough dealing with my dad when he got lost, right?”
- 父さん:
- 「迷子と言うなっ」
- “Don't say lost!”
- 「うるさい」
- “Annoying...”
- “Don't say lost!”