Meaning of 娃娃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- baby
- small child
- doll
How to use 娃娃
娃娃 can mean a baby, a small child, or a doll, and context tells you which. It is warm and informal, common in speech and in northern and western dialects for kids. Example: 她给女儿买了一个娃娃。(Tā gěi nǚ'ér mǎi le yí ge wáwa.) She bought her daughter a doll.
娃 (wá) has the woman radical 女 on the left and 圭 on the right, so picture a woman holding her little one. Say it twice, 娃娃, and it sounds like the soft, repeated words people use for babies.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second syllable with a full second tone. In standard Mandarin it is usually neutral and light: wáwa, not wáwá. Also, do not confuse 娃 with 蛙 (wā, frog), which has the insect radical 虫 instead of 女.
娃娃 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
娃 wá · baby · 9 strokes
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娃 wá · baby · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 娃娃.
| 洋娃娃 | yángwáwa | doll (of Western appearance) |
| 吉娃娃 | jíwáwa | Chihuahua (dog) |
| 娃娃脸 | wáwaliǎn | baby face; doll face |
Questions about 娃娃
What does 娃娃 mean?
娃娃 (wáwa) means "baby; small child" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 娃娃?
娃娃 is made of 2 characters: 娃 (9 strokes), 娃 (9 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 娃娃 an HSK word?
Yes. 娃娃 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 娃娃 different from 孩子 or 宝宝?
孩子 (háizi) is the neutral, everyday word for child. 宝宝 (bǎobao) is an affectionate word for a baby, often used by parents. 娃娃 sounds cute or folksy for a child and is also the normal word for a doll.
What does 娃娃脸 mean, and is it a compliment?
娃娃脸 (wáwaliǎn) means a baby face, someone who looks younger than their age. It is usually friendly or complimentary, though it can hint that someone does not look mature.