児 is a 7-stroke kanji whose radical is 儿 (the "legs" radical). It has a top-over-bottom structure and reads じ / に / げい (on'yomi) and こ (kun'yomi). It appears in words such as 小児科 (shōnika, pediatrics), 乳児 (nyūji, infant), 児童 (jidō, children), and 鹿児島 (Kagoshima).

Meanings of 児

• Child, young one — as in 児童 or 幼児, a young child
• Newborn, babe in arms — a nursing infant
• Young of an animal — also used for the offspring of beasts and birds

Origin of 児

児 derives from the older form 兒, a pictograph of an infant: the upper part shows a child's head with the fontanel not yet closed, and 儿 below represents a person's legs. A large-headed little one — hence the meaning "child, baby."

How to Write 児 — Structure (7 strokes)

"Tighten the top, open the bottom." This division of roles decides the whole form.

• Keep the upper part small. It stands for the child's head; space its horizontals evenly and do not let it grow too wide.
• Run one center line through it. Carry a single spine from the upper vertical down into 儿.
• Open 儿 wide. Sweep the left stroke out and send the right hook up high so the "legs" broadly catch the weight above — this is the key to stability.

Expression in Each Script

Kaisho (Regular Script)

Space the upper horizontals evenly and open the sweep and hook of 儿 to form a broad base, aligning the top and bottom on the center line.

Gyosho (Semi-Cursive Script)

Connect the brush flow from the upper part into 儿, giving the movement toward the hook a sense of flow while keeping the frame intact.

Sosho (Cursive Script)

Simplify the top and resolve the form with the momentum of 儿, so the head-over-legs relationship still reads even when abbreviated.

Summary

児 is a 7-stroke, 儿-radical character meaning "child." Tighten the top and open 儿 wide below: picture the large-headed infant of its origin and the form settles into a composed, well-centered balance.