n.
son
儿子
Common Usage & Traps
- 我的儿子 — my son
- 我儿子 — my son (casual)
- 儿子和女儿 — son and daughter
- 有一个儿子 — have a son
Why can you drop 我的 before 儿子 in Chinese?
When it's clear whose son, Chinese drops 我的.
In close family talk, 我的 often sounds heavy when the owner is obvious. The old man says 儿子和女儿 because everyone knows he means his own children. If you start a conversation with no context, use 我儿子 or 我的儿子 to avoid confusion.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Owner is obvious | 儿子在北京工作。 | 我的儿子在北京工作。 (not wrong, but heavy in close talk) |
| Owner is not obvious | 我儿子在北京工作。 | 儿子在北京工作。 (listener may ask whose son) |
| Talking about family | 儿子和女儿 | 我的儿子和我的女儿 (clunky) |
Can you call your son 孩子 instead of 儿子?
Yes, but 孩子 is vague; 儿子 means specifically son.
孩子 means child or kid, and it can be a son or a daughter. 儿子 always means a male child, so it is more specific. Use 孩子 when gender does not matter, and 儿子 when you mean your son.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Specific male child | 这是我儿子。 | 这是我孩子。 (vague) |
| Gender-neutral | 我有两个孩子。 | 我有两个儿子。 (if you mean boy and girl) |
| Daughter | 这是我女儿。 | 这是我儿子。 (wrong gender) |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
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老先生看看大中，对大中说：“五年前，我 儿子 也在这家饭店工作。
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我天天坐在这儿看外边，觉得我 儿子 还会回来。”
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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老先生对白天明说：“我八十岁了， 儿子 和女儿都在北京工作，我一个人住在这里。
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