抚养

• Pinyin: fǔ yǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 抚 = 扌 + 无 (nurture, care for); 养 = 羊 + 食 (raise, support, nourish)

Meaning

To raise; to bring up; to support and care for a child or dependent until they are self-sufficient.

Used in legal and familial contexts for the responsibility of raising children. More formal than 养 alone. Often appears in family law discussions, divorce proceedings, and formal statements about parental responsibility.

Examples

1. 依据法律规定，父母双方均有义务抚养未成年子女。 Under the law, both parents have an obligation to support their minor children.
2. 她离婚后独自抚养两个年幼的孩子，生活十分不易。 After the divorce, she raised two young children on her own, and life was very difficult.
3. 这对夫妻协议离婚，约定孩子由母亲抚养，父亲定期探视。 The couple agreed to divorce, with the child to be raised by the mother and the father granted regular visitation.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, family

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 祖父母无法代替父母履行抚养子女的法定义务。(Grandparents cannot substitute for parents in fulfilling the legal obligation to raise children.)
• 他虽然与妻子分居，但仍承担着抚养三个孩子的责任。(Although he lives separately from his wife, he still bears the responsibility of raising three children.)

Don't Say

• 抚养一只狗 — 抚养 in formal and legal usage refers to children or dependents; use 养 or 饲养 for pets

Origin & History

抚 (nurture/comfort) + 养 (raise/support)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal