Japanese symbol for “youngster”
子
こ
Romaji: ko
child; kid; teenager; youngster
In Japanese, youngster is 子, read こ (ko).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, n-suf child; kid; teenager; youngster; young (non-adult) person
- n, n-suf (one's) child; offspring
- n, n-suf young woman
- n, n-suf young (animal)
- n offshoot
- n interest
Written forms: 子、児. Readings: こ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “youngster”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 若者 | わかもの wakamono | young person; youngster; young people |
| 小僧 | こぞう kozou | youngster; boy; kid |
| 若造 | わかぞう wakazou | youngster; neophyte; greenhorn |
| 若輩 | じゃくはい jakuhai | young person; youngster |
| 弱年者 | じゃくねんしゃ jakunensha | youngster; young and immature person |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 子供 | こども kodomo | child; children |
| 女子 | じょし joshi | woman; girl |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ onnanoko | girl; daughter; baby girl |
| 男子 | だんし danshi | boy |
| 息子 | むすこ musuko | son |
| 様子 | ようす yousu | state (of affairs); situation; circumstances |
See also: Chinese symbol for “youngster”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.