飼 meaning and stroke order
To raise animals; to nourish, to feed
How to write 飼, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 飼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to raise
- to rear
- to feed
How 飼 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Food.
飠 gives the meaning and 司 hints at the sound.
Radical: 飠 (food), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 飼
On the left is 飠, the food side, and on the right is 司 (sī), which gives the sound. Picture someone whose job (司, to be in charge) is handling the food for the animals, and you get 飼 (sì), to feed or raise.
飼 is the traditional form, and mainland China writes it 饲. It mostly appears in compound words about animals, such as 飼料 (sìliào, feed) and 飼養 (sìyǎng, to raise). Example: 他在農場飼養雞。(Tā zài nóngchǎng sìyǎng jī.) He raises chickens on a farm.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 飼 (sì) with 詞 (cí, word), because both have 司 on the right. The left side tells you which is which. Food 飠 means feeding, and speech 言 means words. Also keep the fourth tone, not the first tone of 司 (sī).
Common words with 飼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 飼
How many strokes are in 飼?
飼 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 飼 mean?
飼 (sì) means to raise animals; to nourish, to feed. A common word with it is 饲料 (sìliào), meaning "feed; fodder".
How do you pronounce 飼?
飼 is pronounced sì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 飼?
The radical of 飼 is 飠, which carries the idea of "food". Dictionaries list 飼 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 飼?
飼 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 饲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 飼 to talk about feeding people?
Usually not. 飼 is used for animals. For feeding people, Chinese uses 餵 (wèi) or 養 (yǎng), as in 養孩子 (yǎng háizi, to raise a child).
What is the difference between 飼養 and 養?
養 (yǎng) is the everyday word and works for pets, children, and plants. 飼養 (sìyǎng) is more formal or technical and is mostly used for livestock or animals raised in a structured way.