Usage note
童年表示小时候的时期。
tóng nián biǎo shì xiǎo shí hòu de shí qī。
Childhood means the time when one is young.
Context note
童年常用于回忆、故事和感受。
tóng nián cháng yòng yú huí yì 、 gù shì hé gǎn shòu。
Childhood often appears in memories, stories, and feelings.
5 examples
我的童年很快乐。
wǒ de tóng nián hěn kuài lè。
My childhood was happy.
他回忆童年。
tā huí yì tóng nián。
He remembers his childhood.
童年很短。
tóng nián hěn duǎn。
Childhood is short.
童年时我住在这里。
tóng nián shí wǒ zhù zài zhè lǐ。
I lived here in childhood.
这本书讲童年。
zhè běn shū jiǎng tóng nián。
This book talks about childhood.
5 mini stories
她常常想起自己的童年。
tā cháng cháng xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ de tóng nián。
She often thinks of her childhood.
童年时，他喜欢在树林里玩。
tóng nián shí， tā xǐ huan zài shù lín lǐ wán。
In childhood, he liked playing in the woods.
我的童年有很多美好的回忆。
wǒ de tóng nián yǒu hěn duō měi hǎo de huí yì。
My childhood has many beautiful memories.
老师让我们说说童年故事。
lǎo shī ràng wǒ men shuō shuō tóng nián gù shì。
The teacher asked us to tell childhood stories.
童年的朋友一直没忘。
tóng nián de péng yǒu yì zhí méi wàng。
The friends from childhood were never forgotten.
Mini dialogue
快乐的时光
A
你的童年是在哪里度过的？
Nǐ de tóngnián shì zài nǎlǐ dùguò de?
Where did you spend your childhood?
B
我的童年是在乡下奶奶家度过的，非常快乐。
Wǒ de tóngnián shì zài xiāngxià nǎinai jiā dùguò de, fēicháng kuàilè.
I spent my childhood at my grandma's house in the countryside; it was very happy.
童年的朋友
A
这张照片让我想起了我的童年。
Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn ràng wǒ xiǎngqǐ le wǒ de tóngnián.
This photo reminds me of my childhood.
B
童年时的朋友是最难忘的。
Tóngnián shí de péngyou shì zuì nánwàng de.
Friends from childhood are the most unforgettable.
Related words and contrasts
similar
小时候
xiǎo shí hou
in one's childhood
A common, casual way to say 'when I was a child'.
related
回忆
huí yì
memory, to recall
Often used when talking about memories of 童年.