The Meaning of yōchi [幼稚] In Japanese

幼稚
ようち
Romaji: yōchi N4

What does 幼稚 mean?

Translation and Meaning

childish, naive, immature

Definition

幼稚 means childish or immature. It describes behavior or attitudes that are not mature for the situation, often signaling naivety or a lack of serious judgment and emotional control.

Type

na-adjective (形容動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • behavior or thinking that shows a lack of maturity
  • naivety or lack of sophistication in ideas or speech
  • rudimentary or unsophisticated technique or design when paired with nouns like 技術 or 方法

Etymology

Phonetic evolution: 幼 contributes the on’yomi yō and 稚 contributes chi; when combined as yōchi the term acquires the sense of youth and early development that underlies its meaning of immaturity.

Composition

  • 幼: young, infant
  • 稚: immature; juvenile
  • combined meaning: the state of being in an early, undeveloped stage, hence not fully mature

Usage

Used as a na-adjective to modify nouns with 幼稚な, it is common in both formal writing and everyday speech. It carries a negative nuance when describing adults’ behavior, and it is typically applied to actions, opinions, or expressions rather than to a person as a fixed trait.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think of 幼 (young) and 稚 (immature) stacking to form a word that literally signals an early stage; recall that 幼稚 describes behavior at the child level, not fully developed.

Variations

  • 子供っぽい (kodomo-ppoi) — childish
  • 未熟 (mijuku) — immature, inexperienced
  • 初歩的 (shohoteki) — rudimentary, basic
  • 大人っぽい (otonappoi) — mature, adult-like

Example Phrases

  • 彼は 今日も 幼稚な 言い訳を する。
    Kare wa kyō mo yōchi na iiwake o suru.
    He makes childish excuses again today.
    Lista:
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 今日も (kyō mo) – today as well
    • 幼稚な (yōchi na) – childish
    • 言い訳を (iiwake o) – excuse
    • する (suru) – to do
    Here 「幼稚」 functions as a na-adjective, forming 「幼稚な言い訳」 meaning ‘childish excuses’.
幼稚