The kanji 児 primarily means "child" or "youngster." It refers to a young human being, especially a child, or can denote someone who is immature or inexperienced. It often suggests innocence, youthfulness, and the early stages of life.

・On-yomi (音読み): ジ (ji) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): こ (ko)

⚫︎ 児童 Translation: Children; juvenile; child. ⚫︎ 幼児 Translation: Infant; baby; young child. ⚫︎ 小児科 Translation: Pediatrics (the branch of medicine concerned with the health of children).

The kanji 児 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The left side is 了, which originally represented a completed action or process, possibly indicating the end of a process (like birth). The right side is 儿, which is a simplified form of 人 meaning "person." So, the character suggests a completed "person" - a child who has been born, or a person who is relatively new. It visually and conceptually represents a young human being who has "come into being."