n.
child; kid
小朋友
Common Usage & Traps
- 小朋友，你好 — Hello, little one (to a child)
- 一个小朋友 — a child
- 小朋友们，早上好 — Good morning, kids (to a group)
- 这个小朋友 — this child
- 小朋友都来了 — The kids have all arrived
- 小朋友，你几岁？ — How old are you, kiddo?
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小朋友，您贵姓？先生/女士，您贵姓？小朋友 is for young children; pairing it with 您 to an adult sounds mocking, not polite.
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一个小朋友们一个小朋友 or 小朋友们们 already makes it plural, so it clashes with 一个.
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他是我的小朋友他是我的好朋友，个子不高小朋友 means a child, not any friend who happens to be short.
Can you call an adult 小朋友?
No. 小朋友 is for young children; using it on an adult usually sounds condescending.
小朋友 means a young child, not any friend who is small. Teachers and adults use it to address kids warmly. Call an adult 先生 or 女士 instead. A close partner might use it playfully, but strangers and coworkers will hear it as patronizing. “小朋友，我问问你，这个小朋友，他是谁？” (Hey kiddo, let me ask you — who is this little one?) ── [《我的家人（2）》](/read/my-family-members#s1)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Who you address | 小朋友，你叫什么名字？ (to a young child) | 小朋友，您贵姓？ (to an adult client) |
| Meaning | A young child | A short adult friend |
| Tone with adults | 先生/女士，您好 | 小朋友，您好 |
Do you need 们 when talking to more than one kid?
Use 小朋友们 for a group you're addressing; drop 们 when speaking about kids in general.
小朋友们 is the normal way to greet or instruct a group of kids. 小朋友 without 们 can still mean children in general. Never say 一个小朋友们; 一个小朋友 means one child. Context does most of the work.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| One kid | 一个小朋友 | 一个小朋友们 |
| A group you speak to | 小朋友们，早上好 | 小朋友，早上好 (to the whole group) |
| Kids in general | 小朋友都喜欢玩 | 小朋友们 (no clear group) |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
- Scene #1
小朋友 ，我问问你，这个 小朋友 ，他是谁？
- Scene #2
这个 小朋友 是我哥。
- Scene #3
小朋友 ，我再问你，这个女孩子，她是谁？
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