Meaning of 培养
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to cultivate
- to breed
- to foster
- to nurture
- to educate
- to groom (for a position)
- education
- fostering
How to use 培养
培养 is used for developing people, skills, habits, interests, or relationships over a long period, and also for growing bacteria or cells in a lab. A common pattern is 培养 + a quality or ability. Example: 父母应该培养孩子的阅读习惯。(Fùmǔ yīnggāi péiyǎng háizi de yuèdú xíguàn.) Parents should foster their children's reading habits.
培 (péi) has the earth radical 土, like piling soil around a plant's roots, and 养 (yǎng) means to raise or feed. Banking up soil and feeding a plant so it grows is exactly what 培养 means: helping something or someone develop over time.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 培养 with 培训 (péixùn). 培训 is short, organized job or skills training, while 培养 is long-term nurturing, so say 公司培训员工 for a training course but 培养人才 for developing talent. Also keep the third tone on 养 (yǎng) and do not flatten it.
培养 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
培 péi · to cultivate · 11 strokes
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- 11
养 yǎng · to raise · 9 strokes
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- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 培养.
| 营养 | yíngyǎng | nutrition; nourishment |
| 培训 | péixùn | to cultivate; to train |
| 培育 | péiyù | to train; to breed |
| 养成 | yǎngchéng | to cultivate; to raise |
| 疗养 | liáoyǎng | to get well; to heal |
| 培训班 | péixùnbān | training class |
| 保养 | bǎoyǎng | to take good care of (or conserve) one's health; to keep in good repair |
| 修养 | xiūyǎng | accomplishment; training |
| 收养 | shōuyǎng | to take in and care for (an elderly person, a dog etc); to adopt (a child) |
| 养老 | yǎnglǎo | to provide for the elderly (family members); to enjoy a life in retirement |
| 抚养 | fǔyǎng | to foster; to bring up |
| 养活 | yǎnghuo | to provide for; to keep (animals, a family etc) |
Questions about 培养
What does 培养 mean?
培养 (péiyǎng) means "to cultivate; to breed" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 培养?
培养 is made of 2 characters: 培 (11 strokes), 养 (9 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 培养 an HSK word?
Yes. 培养 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 培养 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 培养 is written 培養.
What is the difference between 培养 and 养成?
养成 (yǎngchéng) usually describes the result of forming a habit, as in 养成好习惯. 培养 focuses on the deliberate process of fostering something, often done by one person for another, as in 老师培养学生的兴趣.
Can 培养 be used for relationships or feelings?
Yes. You can say 培养感情 (péiyǎng gǎnqíng), meaning to build up feelings or a bond over time. It suggests the relationship grows gradually through effort.