養 means “nourish, raise, support”

よう · you

Also: foster, bring up, rear, develop

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

やしなう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヨウ, リョウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 15 strokes

The story

A sheep (羊) squeezed above food (食): picture a flock being fed through the winter. 養う is to feed and raise, 栄養 is nutrition, and 養子 is an adopted son, the way many Japanese family firms have passed to an heir.

Used in 栄養 (eiyou, nutrition), 養う (yashinau, to feed/support), and 教養 (kyouyou, education/culture)

More from Help & Protect

• 祉 welfare
• 擁 embrace
• 恩 kindness
• 扶 support
• 保 keep
• 援 help
• 護 protect
• 衛 guard
• 救 save

Learn 養 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.