孺

rú

noun #76,591

Meanings

孔子向孺子请教的故事很有名。

Kǒngzǐ xiàng rúzǐ qǐngjiào de gùshi hěn yǒumíng.

The story of Confucius being taught by a child is well known.

这个建议妇孺皆知。

Zhè gè jiànyì fùrújiēzhī.

This proposal is well known even to women and children.

usage

Literary word for a young child, mostly in fixed expressions: 孺子 (child), 妇孺 (women and children), and 孺子可教 (this young one is worth teaching).

radical

子 zǐ

child

Left-side child radical 子. It is the direct meaning anchor — 孺 is a young child.

phonetic

需 xū

to need; require

Right side 需 supplies the sound (xū shifting to rú). There is a faint logic too: a small child is one who 'needs' care. Same phonetic in 儒.

孺 rú