未成年

wèichéngnián

adjective #8,605

Meanings

1 underage; minor (not yet of legal age)
2 juvenile; not yet an adult

Characters

not yet; has not

to become; to reach

Not yet + reach + age — literally 'has not yet reached the age (of adulthood).'

Examples

未成年人不能买酒。

Wèichéngniánrén bù néng mǎi jiǔ.

Minors cannot buy alcohol.

这部电影不适合未成年观众。

Zhè bù diànyǐng bù shìhé wèichéngnián guānzhòng.

This movie is not suitable for underage audiences.

保护未成年人是全社会的责任。

Bǎohù wèichéngniánrén shì quán shèhuì de zérèn.

Protecting minors is the responsibility of all society.

Tips

usage

未成年人 (wèichéngniánrén, adding 人 = person) is the standard legal term for 'minor.' In China, the age of majority is 18. The opposite is 成年 (adult) or 成年人 (adult person).

Stroke Order

未 wèi

成 chéng

年 nián