赡养

• Pinyin: shàn yǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 赡 = 贝 (money/shell radical, indicating financial provision) + 詹 (phonetic shàn, meaning ample) = to give ample financial support; 养 = 羊 (sheep/nurture) + 食 (food) = to raise and feed

Meaning

To provide financial and material support for elderly parents or other dependants; to fulfil one's legal and moral duty of care for family members in need.

A legal obligation under Chinese law: adult children must financially support parents who cannot support themselves. 赡养义务 (duty of support), 赡养费 (support payment/alimony), 赡养协议 (support agreement). Deeply rooted in Confucian filial piety. Also applies to spousal support in civil law: 配偶赡养费.

Examples

1. 该案件中，三名子女因就赡养年迈父母的费用分摊问题产生纠纷，最终依法由法院判决各自按月支付固定金额的赡养费。 In this case, three adult children had a dispute over how to split the cost of supporting their elderly parents, and the court ultimately ruled that each must pay a fixed monthly amount for support.
2. 现行法律明确规定，成年子女对丧失劳动能力且无固定收入的父母负有法定赡养义务，拒绝履行者可被追究民事乃至刑事责任。 Current law clearly stipulates that adult children have a legal duty to support parents who have lost the ability to work and have no fixed income; those who refuse to fulfill this duty can face civil and even criminal liability.
3. 人口老龄化加速，家庭赡养压力骤增，政府正探索与社会养老结合的保障体系。 As population aging accelerates and the pressure of family support surges, the government is exploring a support system that combines family care with broader social eldercare.

Usage Guide

Context: law, family, social welfare, Confucian ethics

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 子女长期拒绝赡养，原告起诉要求法院判令其按月支付赡养费，保障老人生活。(The children had long refused to support their parent, so the plaintiff sued and asked the court to order monthly support payments to protect the elder's basic living needs.)
• 城镇化使许多青壮年进城，农村老人既缺陪伴又难得物质赡养，亟需政策回应。(Urbanisation has taken many young and middle-aged workers to the cities, leaving rural elderly people without companionship or material support, so policy response is urgently needed.)

Don't Say

• 他赡养了他的宠物 — 赡养 specifically refers to supporting human dependants with a legal or moral obligation, particularly elderly parents; for caring for pets say 照顾宠物 or 养护宠物

Origin & History

赡 = 贝 (money/shell radical) + 詹 (phonetic shàn, meaning ample/sufficient) = to give financially ample provision; 养 = 羊 (sheep, symbolising nurturing) + 食 (food/to eat) = to feed and raise = 赡养: to financially support and care for

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal