[JLPT grammar] Why is 若い子ども not accepted but 小さい子ども is OK?
Today I am going to share the Q&A quoted from my JLPT N5 course!
[Student’s Question]
Sensei, why is 若い子ども not accepted but 小さい子ども is OK?
*若い(わかい)
子ども(こども)
小さい(ちいさい)
[My Reply]
小さい is used for the age when their bodies are not adult size.
若(わか)い is not used for a baby, infants, child.
We use 若い for teenagers(especially for high school students), not middle-aged.
Their bodies are the same as adults, but they have young minds.
◎小さい子ども small child, infant
◎若い女性(じょせい) young woman, young lady.
◎若い男性(だんせい) young man
あなたはまだ若いですよ You are still young. (=You have a young mind)
むすこはまだ小さいですよ My son is still a small child. (=His body is small)
Adults sometimes say 若い子, but this 子 doesn’t mean 子ども’baby, infants, child,’; it’s a one-word ‘若い子’, which means ‘young man/woman” as old as his children.
I hope my answer helps you.😊
In the JLPT course, you can ask me any questions as much as you want.
I will teach you until you get it!
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