赤ちゃん

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 赤ちゃん. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 赤ちゃん, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 赤ちゃん in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 赤ちゃん you have here. The definition of the word 赤ちゃん will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of赤ちゃん, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
あか
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
 赤ちゃん on Japanese Wikipedia

Etymology

Compound of (aka, red) +‎ ちゃん (-chan, familiarizing suffix).[1][2][3]

Compare 赤ん坊 (akanbō) and 赤子 (akago), both of which also allude to the reddish complexion of a newborn. Compare also the similar formation of Malay anak merah (literally child + red).

First cited to a text from 1856 or 1857.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

(あか)ちゃん (aka-chan

  1. a baby, an infant (human or animal)
    (あか)ちゃん(ぼく)
    Aka-chan to Boku
    Baby & Me
    • 1984 February 20 [1983 June 15], Motoka Murakami, “()になる(しん)(にん)(せん)(せい)(まき) [A Little Worried about the New Teacher]”, in ()()()(けん) [Musashi’s Sword], 4th edition, volume 10 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 147:
      きっと()(いち)()よ‼()(いち)とあの(しろ)(いぬ)との(あか)ちゃんよ!
      Kitto Toichi no ko yo‼ Toichi to ano shiroi inu to no aka-chan yo!
      These must be Toichi’s puppies!! They’re Toichi and that white dog’s babies!
    • 1986 July 5 [1985 October 18], Makoto Kobayashi, “Vol.26 マイケルの初夜 [Vol.26 Michael’s First Night]”, in What’s(ホワッツ) Michael(マイケル)? [What’s Michael], 10th edition, volume 2 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 30:
      このバカモノ‼ポッポはまだ(あか)ちゃんなんだぞ〰〰‼
      Kono bakamono‼ Poppo wa mada aka-chan na n da zo~~‼
      You moron!! Poppo’s still an infant!!

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 赤ちゃん”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. ^ 赤ちゃん”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. 3.0 3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN