子供
こども
kodomo
= child; children
Few everyday Japanese words carry as much cultural weight as 子供 (kodomo). Beyond simply meaning “child,” this word exists in three competing written forms — 子供, 子ども, and こども — a debate that reveals how deeply Japan reflects on the language used to describe its youngest members.
子供 (kodomo) means “child” or “children” and is one of the most common nouns in Japanese. Unlike English, Japanese does not grammatically distinguish between singular and plural, so 子供 can refer to one child or many depending on context. It is used across all registers — in casual family conversation, in formal writing, and in government policy documents.
The word contrasts with 大人 (otona, adult), and this pairing comes up naturally in discussions about age restrictions, media ratings, and behavioral expectations. In casual speech, parents often refer to their own children simply as 子供, while the more formal 子女 (shijo) or 児童 (jido) appears in legal and administrative language.
In terms of age range, 子供 typically refers to children up to around junior high school age. High schoolers are more often called 高校生, and the term 子供っぽい (kodomo-ppoi, childish) can be used as a mild criticism of immature behavior in adults.
Learners sometimes confuse 子供 with 赤ちゃん (akachan, baby) or 少年 (shonen, boy/youth). 子供 is the broadest term and the safest default for “child” in any context.
Pay attention to which written form appears in the text you are reading. Newspapers and government documents increasingly use 子ども, while 子供 remains standard in dictionaries and everyday handwriting. Both are correct, and you will not be misunderstood either way, but choosing 子ども in formal writing signals awareness of the ongoing discussion.
The compound 子供たち (kodomo-tachi) adds the plural marker たち for emphasis when you want to make clear you are talking about multiple children, though 子供 alone is already understood as plural in most contexts.
子供 is written with two kanji: 子 (ko), meaning “child” or “small one,” and 供 (tomo/domo), which historically meant “attendant” or “companion” and served as a plural suffix in classical Japanese. The combination originally conveyed the idea of a group of children, similar to how 私ども (watakushi-domo) is a humble plural for “we.”
However, the character 供 also carries the meaning of “offering” or “to supply,” as in お供え物 (osonae-mono), items offered to deities or ancestors. Some scholars and child welfare advocates argue that writing 子供 implies children are subordinate or offered up to adults, and have campaigned since the 1970s for the alternative spelling 子ども, which uses hiragana for the suffix to sidestep this connotation. The national holiday こどもの日 uses full hiragana, a deliberate policy choice by the Japanese government.
Everyday use
子供が毎朝元気に学校へ行く。
Kodomo ga mai-asa genki ni gakkou e iku.
The child goes to school energetically every morning.
Casual / Social Media
子供の初めての誕生日をSNSに投稿した。
Kodomo no hajimete no tanjoubi wo SNS ni tousou shita.
I posted my child’s first birthday on social media.
Formal / Cultural context
こどもの日は子供の成長を祝う国民の祝日だ。
Kodomo no Hi wa kodomo no seichou wo iwau kokumin no shukujitsu da.
Children’s Day is a national holiday celebrating the growth of children.
Japan dedicates an entire national holiday to children: こどもの日 (Kodomo no Hi), held on May 5th. Rooted in the ancient festival of 端午の節句 (Tango no Sekku), which originally celebrated boys, the holiday was expanded after World War II to honor all children and express gratitude to mothers. Families fly 鯉のぼり (koinobori), colorful carp-shaped streamers, from rooftops and poles — each carp representing a child in the household, with the largest symbolizing the father and progressively smaller ones for each child. The carp was chosen for its reputation as a strong fish that swims upstream, embodying the hope that children will overcome hardships.
The debate over how to write 子供 versus 子ども reflects a broader Japanese sensitivity to the social implications of kanji. Because 供 can suggest servitude or an offering, child welfare groups and progressive educators began advocating for 子ども in the 1970s. By 2013, the Cabinet Office adopted こども as the official spelling for the holiday name, and in 2023 the newly established こども家庭庁 (Children and Families Agency) uses full hiragana in its official name. This is not merely a spelling dispute — it is a public conversation about how society views children’s status and rights.
Beyond こどもの日, children hold a central place in Japanese seasonal rituals. 七五三 (Shichi-Go-San), celebrated on November 15th, marks the ages of three, five, and seven as significant milestones in a child’s development. Families dress children in kimono and visit Shinto shrines to pray for their health and long life. The tradition dates to the Heian period, when childhood mortality was high and reaching these ages was cause for genuine celebration. Today 七五三 is one of the most photographed family events in Japan, blending ancient religious custom with modern studio portraits.