trẻ thơ

Những trẻ thơ đang chơi đùa trong công viên.

Definition

Noun:
- A young child, an infant: Refers specifically to a very young child, typically in the early years of life, emphasizing innocence and tender age.
- (Figurative) A young and inexperienced person: Describes someone who is youthful and naive, lacking life experience or worldly knowledge.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- Tiếng cười của trẻ thơ thật trong trẻo. (The laughter of a young child is so pure.)
- Khu vui chơi này dành riêng cho trẻ thơ. (This playground is specifically for young children.)
- Anh ấy còn trẻ thơ lắm, chưa hiểu chuyện đời. (He is still very young and inexperienced, not yet understanding the ways of the world.)

Advanced Usage

The term "trẻ thơ" carries a strong connotation of purity, innocence, and vulnerability. It is often used in literary, poetic, or affectionate contexts rather than in clinical or formal descriptions.
It can be used metaphorically to describe the innocent or naive aspect of an adult's character.

Variants and Related Words

Trẻ em (n): children, kids (a more general and common term for children).
- Quyền lợi của trẻ em được pháp luật bảo vệ. (The rights of children are protected by law.)
Trẻ nhỏ (n): little children, small kids (emphasizes small size/age).
- Hãy giữ yên lặng vì có trẻ nhỏ đang ngủ. (Please be quiet as there are small children sleeping.)
Thơ ấu (n): childhood (the period of being a young child).
- Những ký ức thơ ấu của tôi thật đẹp. (My childhood memories are beautiful.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms and Phrases

Già dặn trước tuổi, trẻ thơ quá lứa: (Lit. Mature before age, a child past its time) Used to comment on someone whose behavior or understanding does not match their expected age—either too mature or too childish.
Tính khí trẻ thơ: Childlike temperament. Refers to an adult who retains innocent, simple, or sometimes capricious qualities like a child.
- Dù đã trưởng thành, anh ấy vẫn giữ một tính khí trẻ thơ. (Even as an adult, he retains a childlike temperament.)