The Chinese word 孩童 (háitóng), meaning "child" or "youngster," is a compound formed by combining two synonymous characters: 孩 (hái), which specifically means "child" or "infant," and 童 (tóng), which carries the broader meaning of "youth," "child," or "young servant." This type of construction, where two words with similar meanings are joined to create a single, more refined or formal term, is common in Chinese lexicon development. The resulting compound 孩童 retains the core semantic field of "child" but often carries a slightly more literary or gentle connotation compared to the more colloquial and common term 孩子 (háizi).