About
The character "娃" is structured with the semantic component "女", denoting woman or female, alongside the phonetic component "圭", which guides its pronunciation, and originally conveyed the idea of beauty, often describing women from the Wu region in early Chinese texts. Over time, its meaning shifted from emphasizing physical beauty to encompassing the concept of young children, a transition likely influenced by the endearing and delicate qualities shared between the two associations. This evolution solidified in modern usage, where "娃" primarily refers to a child or baby, a sense reinforced in common compounds like "娃娃" for doll or little child, while its written form has remained consistent without a separate traditional variant.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个娃娃是我的。
小娃娃真漂亮。
妈妈抱着娃娃。
娃娃在沙发上睡觉。
她是个女娃娃。
娃娃笑了，因为看到玩具。
如果娃娃饿了，就会哭。
那个胖娃娃正在学走路。