1.
child, children
A young human being, or one's own offspring regardless of age.
When I was a child, I often swam in the ocean and went to the mountains.
子供の時 = when (I was) a child
Please explain without using difficult words so that even children can understand.
子供 can mean either 'children' in general or 'one's own children.' The word doesn't distinguish singular from plural.
POLITENESS LEVELS:
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
GENDERED TERMS:
NOTE:
The kanji 供 is sometimes considered offensive when written with kanji (implying 'attendant'), so こども or 子ども in mixed script is sometimes preferred in official contexts.