Chinese

Noun

少年

1. early youth (from ten to sixteen years old)

   少年時代 / 少年时代  ―  shàonián shídài  ―  early youth

2. juvenile; youngster

Derived terms

Adjective

少年

1. (chiefly Min Nan) young

Related terms

• 少年人 (siàu-liân-lâng)

See also

• (Mandarin) 年輕／年轻 (niánqīng)

Japanese

少年 (shōnen): a boy.

Etymology

/seunen/ → /ɕeunen/ → /ɕoːnen/

From Middle Chinese compound 少年 ‎(syew^H nen, literally “young + years”). Compare modern Cantonese reading siu³ nin⁴, Mandarin shàonián, Korean 소년 ‎(sonyeon), Vietnamese thiếu niên.

Originally referred to young people of either gender. The meaning has narrowed in modern usage to more commonly refer to boys of elementary school or middle school age.^[1]

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) しょうねん [shòónéń] (Heiban - [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːnẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

少年 ‎(hiragana しょうねん, romaji shōnen, historical hiragana せうねん)

1. a boy; a young man

   少 (しょう)年 (ねん)はこの漫 (まん)画 (が)が大 (だい)好 (す)きで、もう売 (う)り切 (き)れになっています。

   Shōnen wa kono manga ga daisuki de, mō urikire ni natte imasu.

   Boys really like this manga, and it's already sold out.

   • 2011 February 9, Hideaki Sorachi, “銭せん湯とうでは身みも心こころも丸まる裸はだか [Our Bodies and Souls Are All Naked in the Public Baths]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 38 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, ISBN 978-4-08-870176-9:

     余 (よ)計 (けい)な事 (こと)言 (い)うな　バーさん　俺 (おれ)は心 (こころ)は少 (しょう)年 (ねん)だから二 (ふた)人 (り)で２００円 (にひゃくえん)で頼 (たの)むわ

     Yokei na koto iu na Bā-san ore wa kokoro wa shōnen dakara futari de nihyaku-en de tanomu wa

     Quit blabbering　Granny, I'm still a young boy at heart, so make it 200 yen for two

Derived terms

See also

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

Korean

Noun

少年 • ‎(sonyeon) ‎(hangeul 소년)

1. Hanja form^? of 소년, “boy, young person”.

Vietnamese

Noun

少年

1. Hán tự form of thiếu niên, “related to adolescence”