Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "子供" vs "大人"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
子供
こども (kodomo)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
大人
おとな (otona)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 子供 and 大人 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
子供 (こども (kodomo)) represents "child, children" (Level: N4) and typically represents General term for a child. Can refer to one or multiple children. Polite term is お子さん.
On the other hand, 大人 (おとな (otona)) translates to "adult" (Level: N4) and is used for Refers to a grown-up person, often in contrast to 子供. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "子供"
私には子供が二人います。
I have two children.
Bilingual Sentence for "大人"
彼女はもう大人です。
She is already an adult.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "私には ＿＿＿ が二人います。" (Meaning: "I have two children.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "子供" fits here because it represents "child, children" in the context: "I have two children.".