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養 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
養yǎngto raise, to rear, to bring up; to supportx, 15 strokes, radical 食, rank #73310, Very Hard
yǎng(yang3)yang T3
  1. 1to raise, to rear, to bring up; to support
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March 24, 2026

養yǎng(yang3)

The character 養 (yǎng) means 'to raise' or 'to rear', often used in the context of caring for children or animals. It can also imply providing support, both financially and emotionally, to someone in need. This term is commonly used in discussions about family responsibilities and nurturing.

Strokes15Radical食Frequency#73310DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 養 is deeply tied to family values, where raising children is seen as a lifelong responsibility. This is reflected in traditional sayings about filial piety and the importance of nurturing future generations.

Memory tip

Imagine a mother hen (the top component 养) nurturing her chicks. The character 養 (yǎng) visually suggests a nurturing action, as the hen brings up her young ones while also taking care of the ground (the bottom component represented by 食, meaning food).

Meanings of 養

yǎng(yang3)
1to raise, to rear, to bring up; to support
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 養

養Simplified
15Strokes
食Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 養

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Podcast: 養

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AI study notes for 養

Quick Contrast

养 (yǎng) vs 抚 (fǔ) — use 养 when referring to raising or providing for someone over a long period, while 抚 is more specific to nurturing or caring for someone, often in a more immediate or protective sense.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 養 with other similar terms like 教 (jiào), which means 'to teach'. 養 is used in both formal and informal registers and is often paired with words like '孩子' (háizi, child) or '宠物' (chǒngwù, pet). Be mindful of the third tone in pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 養 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it is relevant for learners at HSK 3 and above due to its use in everyday conversation. Focus on its application in familial and caregiving contexts, as well as its common collocations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 養 in place of 照顾 (zhàogù, to take care of), which has a slightly different meaning. For example, saying '我养了他的健康' (Wǒ yǎngle tā de jiànkāng, I raised his health) is incorrect; the correct term would be '我照顾了他的健康' (I took care of his health).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 養

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Etymology of 養

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 養. Phonosemantic compound. 食 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound.

Memory hint

food

Semantic (meaning)食
+
Phonetic (sound)羊
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

養 = 食 + 羊. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 養

IDS Structure⿱羊食
養Full character
=
羊Yang2
top
食shi2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 養?

How to say to raise, to rear, to bring up; to support in Chinese

“to raise, to rear, to bring up; to support” in Chinese is養yǎng

The character 養 (yǎng) means 'to raise' or 'to rear', often used in the context of caring for children or animals. It can also imply providing support, both financially and emotionally, to someone in need. This term is commonly used in discussions about family responsibilities and nurturing.

When to use 養

Learners often confuse 養 with other similar terms like 教 (jiào), which means 'to teach'. 養 is used in both formal and informal registers and is often paired with words like '孩子' (háizi, child) or '宠物' (chǒngwù, pet). Be mindful of the third tone in pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings.

養 or something close to it

养 (yǎng) vs 抚 (fǔ) — use 养 when referring to raising or providing for someone over a long period, while 抚 is more specific to nurturing or caring for someone, often in a more immediate or protective sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 養 in place of 照顾 (zhàogù, to take care of), which has a slightly different meaning. For example, saying '我养了他的健康' (Wǒ yǎngle tā de jiànkāng, I raised his health) is incorrect; the correct term would be '我照顾了他的健康' (I took care of his health).

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養

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Word Family of 養

Words containing this character20
养yǎngto support養
培养péiyǎngto cultivate培養
营养yíngyǎngnutrition營養
收养shōuyǎngadoption收養
抚养fǔyǎngto foster撫養
领养lǐngyǎngadoption領養
养老yǎnglǎoto enjoy a life in retirement養老
养殖yǎngzhíto cultivate養殖
保养bǎoyǎngto maintain保養
饲养sìyǎngto raise飼養
养活yǎnghuoto provide for養活
养老金yǎnglǎojīnpension養老金
养成yǎngchéngto cultivate養成
教养jiàoyǎngto train教養
修养xiūyǎngtraining修養
喂养wèiyǎngto keep餵養
养育to rear養育
养生yǎngshēngto maintain good health養生
养老院yǎnglǎoyuànnursing home養老院
养家to support a family養家
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 養

What does 养 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 養

養 refers to raising or nurturing someone, while 教 specifically means teaching. They often go hand-in-hand but focus on different aspects of upbringing.

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