trẻ nhỏ
Definition
- Noun:
- Young children: Refers to human beings in the early stage of life, typically from infancy to around pre-adolescence. It emphasizes youth and small size.
- The young / little ones: A general, often affectionate term for a group of children.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Công viên này có nhiều khu vui chơi cho trẻ nhỏ. (This park has many play areas for young children.)
- Trẻ nhỏ cần được chăm sóc và bảo vệ. (Young children need care and protection.)
- Tiếng cười của lũ trẻ nhỏ vang khắp sân. (The laughter of the little ones echoed across the yard.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "trẻ nhỏ" is often used in formal, educational, or caring contexts (e.g., healthcare, policy, parenting advice) to denote the demographic of very young children. It carries a tone of tenderness and responsibility.
- It can be used interchangeably with "trẻ em" (children), though "trẻ nhỏ" sometimes more specifically implies younger age or smaller physical stature.
Variants and Related Words
Trẻ em (n): children, kids (a more general and common term).
- Quyền trẻ em (children's rights).
Trẻ thơ (n): young children, infants; often carries a poetic or very tender connotation.
- Giấc ngủ trẻ thơ (a child's sleep).
Trẻ sơ sinh (n): newborn, infant.
- Chăm sóc trẻ sơ sinh (newborn care).
Synonyms
- Young children: The most direct synonym.
- Little kids: Informal equivalent.
- The young: A more formal collective term.
Related Idioms
Nói chuyện trẻ nhỏ: To talk down to someone (literally: to talk as if to a young child).
- Đừng nói chuyện trẻ nhỏ với tôi. (Don't talk down to me.)
Già dạy trẻ nhỏ: A proverb meaning elders teach the young, emphasizing the traditional role of passing knowledge.
- Theo truyền thống "già dạy trẻ nhỏ". (According to the "elders teach the young" tradition.)