子女

zǐnǚ
noun HSK 3 #10,898

Meanings

  1. 1 children; sons and daughters
  2. 2 offspring

Characters

Sons + daughters = children of both genders.

Examples

Tā yǒu sān gè zǐnǚ.
He has three children.
Fùmǔ dōu xīwàng zǐnǚ xìngfú.
All parents hope their children will be happy.
Zǐnǚ jiàoyù shì dà wèntí.
Children's education is a big issue.

Tips

usage
子女 is more formal than 孩子. It shows up in official, legal, or serious contexts — e.g. 独生子女 (only child).
culture
独生子女 ('only child') became a household term during China's one-child policy era (1979–2015).

Stroke Order