养

養

yǎng

verb HSK 2 #1,025

Meanings

1 to raise (animals/children)
2 to keep (pets)
3 to nurture

Characters

raise; nourish; support

Examples

她养了一只猫。

Tā yǎng le yī zhī māo.

She keeps a cat.

养孩子不容易。

Yǎng háizi bù róngyì.

Raising children is not easy.

你养过狗吗？

Nǐ yǎng guo gǒu ma?

Have you ever kept a dog?

Tips

usage

养 is used for raising living things: pets (养猫, 养狗), children (养孩子), and even plants (养花).

culture

The traditional character 養 has 食 (food) at the bottom—nurturing requires feeding.

Stroke Order

养 yǎng