How to Write 童 (tóng) — Meaning “Child; childhood”

Picture a child standing upright (立) in a village (里). Imagine a little child standing tall in the middle of a rural village street, which helps link the shape to the meaning of "child."

Pay attention to the top part 立: the last horizontal stroke of 立 should be long, covering the width of the character. Under it, 里 has a narrow vertical structure; avoid making the bottom half too wide, and keep the top and bottom balanced.

竘 (rare, meaning "curved" or a surname) looks similar but has a different right side (句). 站 (zhàn, to stand) shares the 立 radical but has 占 below; 童 always means child or childhood, while 站 is about standing or a station.

童 appears in words like 儿童 (children), 童话 (fairy tales), and 童年 (childhood). Culturally, 童 evokes innocence and youth; Children's Day in China (June 1st) is called 儿童节, celebrating kids nationwide.

Common words containing 童 include: 儿童 (ér tóng) — children; 童话 (tóng huà) — Fairy tale; 童年 (tóng nián) — Childhood.