养 meaning and stroke order
To raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets)
How to write 养, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 养
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to raise (animals)
- to bring up (children)
- to keep (pets)
- to support
- to give birth
How 养 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Child.
儿 gives the meaning and 羊 hints at the sound.
Radical: 丷 (kwukyel), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 养
养 has 羊 (yáng, sheep) on top, which gives the sound, and 儿 (ér, child) underneath, which gives the meaning. Picture a family raising both sheep and children: to raise is 养 (yǎng).
养 is used for raising children, keeping pets or livestock, and supporting family members. It also appears in abstract words like 养成 (yǎngchéng, to form a habit) and 营养 (yíngyǎng, nutrition). Example: 我养了一只猫。(Wǒ yǎng le yì zhī māo.) I have a cat.
Common mistake: Learners often say yáng with a second tone because of the 羊 (yáng) part, but 养 is third tone, yǎng. Also notice that the bottom of the simplified form is not a full 羊: the long vertical stroke of 羊 stops short and does not run down through 儿.
Common words with 养
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 营养 | yíngyǎng | nutrition; nourishment | HSK 3 |
| 培养 | péiyǎng | to cultivate; to breed | HSK 4 |
| 养成 | yǎngchéng | to cultivate; to raise | HSK 4 |
| 疗养 | liáoyǎng | to get well; to heal | HSK 4 |
| 保养 | bǎoyǎng | to take good care of (or conserve) one's health; to keep in good repair | HSK 5 |
| 修养 | xiūyǎng | accomplishment; training | HSK 5 |
| 收养 | shōuyǎng | to take in and care for (an elderly person, a dog etc); to adopt (a child) | HSK 6 |
| 养老 | yǎnglǎo | to provide for the elderly (family members); to enjoy a life in retirement | HSK 6 |
| 抚养 | fǔyǎng | to foster; to bring up | HSK 7-9 |
| 养活 | yǎnghuo | to provide for; to keep (animals, a family etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 领养 | lǐngyǎng | to adopt (a child, pet etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 教养 | jiàoyǎng | to educate; to bring up; to nurture; upbringing; breeding; culture | HSK 7-9 |
| 养老金 | yǎnglǎojīn | pension | HSK 7-9 |
| 养老院 | yǎnglǎoyuàn | nursing home | HSK 7-9 |
养 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 养
How many strokes are in 养?
养 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 养 mean?
养 (yǎng) means to raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets). A common word with it is 营养 (yíngyǎng), meaning "nutrition; nourishment".
How do you pronounce 养?
养 is pronounced yǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 养?
The radical of 养 is 丷, which carries the idea of "kwukyel". Dictionaries list 养 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 养?
The traditional form of 养 is 養. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 养 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 养 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 养 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Can I use 养 to say I have a pet?
Yes. 养 is the most natural verb for keeping pets, as in 你养狗吗？(Nǐ yǎng gǒu ma?) Do you keep a dog? Using 有 (yǒu) also works, but 养 stresses that you care for the animal.
What is the difference between 养 and 培养?
养 is the everyday word for raising children, animals or plants, or supporting someone. 培养 (péiyǎng) is more formal. It usually means developing talent, skills or interest over time, as in 培养人才 (péiyǎng réncái), to train talented people.