小孩儿
xiǎoháir · HSK 1
child
👶 小 (small) + 孩 (child) + 儿 (erhua suffix) = little kid
小孩 means child; the 儿 suffix is the Beijing-style erhua ending that softens the word into 小孩儿. Same meaning as 小孩, just with northern flavor.
小 — three small strokes around a central vertical
小 is a pictograph originally showing three tiny dots or specks, suggesting small particles or grains. Over time the dots became stylized strokes flanking a central line. The core meaning 'small' has stayed remarkably stable from oracle bone script to today.