Usage note
子在中文里可以指儿子，也可以泛指孩子。
zǐ zài zhōngwén lǐ kěyǐ zhǐ sūn ér, yě kěyǐ fànzhǐ háizi.
In Chinese, 子 can mean son or child in general.
Context note
子常用于描述家庭成员，如父亲的儿子或孩子。
zǐ cháng yòng yú miáo shù jiātíng yuánchéng, rú fùqīn de sūn ér huò háizi.
子 is often used to describe family members, such as a father's son or child.
5 examples
他是我的儿子。
tā shì wǒ de ér zi。
He is my son.
孩子们在公园玩耍。
hái zi men zài gōng yuán wán shuǎ。
The children are playing in the park.
他是家里的独子。
tā shì jiā lǐ de dú zǐ。
He is the only son in the family.
她生了一个儿子。
tā shēng le yí gè ér zi。
She gave birth to a son.
孩子需要父母的关爱。
hái zi xū yào fù mǔ de guān ài。
Children need the care of their parents.
5 mini stories
妈妈说她有一个儿子，他很聪明。爸爸很高兴。
mā ma shuō tā yǒu yí gè ér zi， tā hěn cōng ming。 bà ba hěn gāo xìng。
Mom said she has a son who is very smart. Dad was very happy.
孩子们在公园里快乐地玩耍。他们玩得很开心。
hái zi men zài gōng yuán lǐ kuài lè dì wán shuǎ。 tā men wán dé hěn kāi xīn。
The children were happily playing in the park. They had a lot of fun.
爸爸教儿子学中文。他们一起学习。
bà ba jiào ér zi xué zhōng wén。 tā men yì qǐ xué xí。
Dad taught his son to learn Chinese. They studied together.
儿子喜欢画画，他画了很多美丽的图画。
ér zi xǐ huan huà huà， tā huà le hěn duō měi lì de tú huà。
The son likes to draw. He drew many beautiful pictures.
孩子们在家中一起学习。他们进步很快。
hái zi men zài jiā zhōng yì qǐ xué xí。 tā men jìn bù hěn kuài。
The children studied together at home. They made great progress quickly.
Mini dialogue
家庭介绍
A
你家有几个孩子？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè háizi?
How many children are in your family?
B
我家有两个孩子，我和弟弟。
Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng gè háizi, wǒ hé dìdi.
My family has two children, me and my younger brother.
公园玩耍
A
公园里有很多孩子在玩。
Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō háizi zài wán.
There are many children playing in the park.
B
是啊，孩子们都很开心。
Shì a, háizimen dōu hěn kāixīn.
Yes, the children are all very happy.
Related words and contrasts
similar
孩子
háizi
child
孩子 is a common word for child. 子 is more formal and often used in written language or compound words.
contrast
女
nǚ
daughter; female
女 means daughter or female, often contrasted with 子 (son) in words like 子女 (children).