養育

• Reading: よういく
• Romaji: youiku
• Kanji breakdown: 養 (you) — nurture, raise, foster; 育 (iku) — grow, bring up, educate
• Pronunciation: /joː.i.kɯ/

Meaning

Bringing up; rearing; raising a child. The act of nurturing and educating children.

A noun and suru-verb (transitive) used in both everyday and legal contexts. Key compounds include 養育費 (youiku hi, child support/maintenance), which is crucial in divorce proceedings, and 養育環境 (youiku kankyou, child-rearing environment). More formal than 子育て (kosodate, child-rearing), which is the everyday conversational term. 養育 emphasizes the responsibility and obligation of raising a child.

Examples

1. 離婚後の養育費について話し合った。 We discussed child support payments after the divorce.
2. 子どもの養育には多くの時間とお金がかかる。 Raising a child takes a lot of time and money.
3. 養育環境を整えることが親の責任だ。 It is the responsibility of parents to provide a good environment for raising their children.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, child-rearing, social welfare

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 養 (you, nurture/raise) + 育 (iku, grow/bring up). Both characters relate to nurturing — together they emphasize the full process of raising and cultivating.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal