幼

Fundamentally refers to the state of being young or immature, and by extension, to affection and tenderness toward the young.

In extended usage, it conveys meanings such as “small,” “inexperienced,” “gentle,” or “affectionate.”

A compound ideograph composed of:

幺 (작을 요) — meaning “small, tiny, delicate.”

力 (힘 력) — meaning “strength, effort.”

Together, these signify “small strength” or “weakness due to youth,” hence 幼 — “young, not yet strong.”

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「幼，少也。从幺力。力者，少力也。」

“幼 means ‘young, little’; composed of 幺 (‘small’) and 力 (‘strength’), signifying weak or tender strength.”

Thus the original concept is physiological — a person not yet mature in body or power, later extended metaphorically to mental or emotional immaturity.

幼稚 (유치) — childish, immature

幼兒 (유아) — infant, young child

幼少 (유소) — youthful, tender

幼學 (유학) — elementary learning

幼苗 (유묘) — seedling; young sprout

幼子 (유자) — young child, son

幼年 (유년) — childhood

養幼 (양유) — to nurture the young

保幼 (보유) — to protect and care for children

In Confucian philosophy, 幼 represents the moral foundation of compassion (仁) - the care of elders for the young and the natural bond between generations.

The Great Learning (大學) and Mencius (孟子) use 幼 to illustrate benevolence as the extension of familial love to society.

「老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼。」 (孟子·告子上).

“Respect the elders of your own family, and extend that respect to the elders of others; love the young of your own family, and extend that love to the young of others.”

Here, 幼 expresses compassion, care, and moral extension — central to Confucian ethics.

In Daoist writings, 幼 symbolizes the returning to simplicity — the soft, gentle, and uncarved state of life.

Laozi speaks of 嬰兒之德 (“the virtue of the infant”) — pure, uncontrived, and close to the Dao:

「含德之厚，比於赤子。」 (Dao De Jing, ch. 55)

“Those who are full of virtue are like a newborn child.”

Here, 幼 represents primordial innocence and natural harmony.

In Buddhist literature, 幼 also appears metaphorically as the tender stage of spiritual development, when the practitioner must be “nurtured” through compassion and teaching — like a child growing in wisdom (慧).

幼 originally denoting “small and weak strength,” it came to signify youth, innocence, and affection.

Through Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist interpretations, 幼 embodies both the biological and spiritual qualities of early life — purity, gentleness, and the capacity for growth.