养

• Pinyin: yǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 养 = simplified from 養; 羊 (sheep) + bottom component from 食 (food) — feeding and raising livestock

Meaning

To raise, keep, or nurture. Used for raising animals, growing plants, or caring for people.

This versatile verb covers raising children (养孩子), keeping pets (养宠物), growing plants (养花), and even maintaining health (养生, yǎngshēng). It implies ongoing care and nourishment. Related compounds include 营养 (yíngyǎng, nutrition) and 养成 (yǎngchéng, to form a habit).

Examples

1. 我家养了一只小猫。 My family keeps a little cat.
2. 她很会养花，每朵花都很好看。 She is great at growing flowers — every flower looks beautiful.
3. 爸爸妈妈养我们很不容易。 It is not easy for Mum and Dad to raise us.

Usage Guide

Context: pets, family life

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 你养过什么动物？(What animals have you kept?)
• 养一只狗要花很多时间。(Keeping a dog takes a lot of time.)

Don't Say

• 我养了我的朋友 (Confusing — 养 implies parental or long-term care; for treating a friend to something, say 我请我的朋友吃饭; 养 with a friend implies financially supporting them)

Origin & History

The traditional character 養 combines 羊 (yáng, sheep) on top with 食 (shí, food) below, depicting the idea of feeding sheep — extended to mean nurturing in general. The simplified form 养 retains the basic structure.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal