育 (yù) is a Chinese character meaning “to raise”. It is written from 亠 (lid) and 厶 (private component) and 月 (moon; month), and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to raise; to nurture”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亠 + 厶 + 月
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：8 画 = 亠 2 画 + 厶 2 画 + 月 4 画；上部两件为楷化后的现代形，历史来源未采信
Memory aid
Under a lid (亠), a small private bundle (厶) is fed on flesh (月): a newborn kept warm and fed until it grows — that is 育, to raise.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 体育tǐ yùphysical education; sports育 = yùHSK 3
- 发育fā yùto grow; to develop (physically)育 = yùHSK 5
- 孕育yùn yùto be pregnant with; to nurture something into being育 = yù
- 哺育bǔ yùto feed and raise; to nurture育 = yù
Go deeper
All readings
to raise; to nurture
to raise; to bring up; to nurture; to educate; to grow
养活、抚养并教导，使其成长。也指生物体长大成熟。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 体育tǐ yùphysical education; sports育 = yùHSK 3
- 发育fā yùto grow; to develop (physically)育 = yùHSK 5
- 孕育yùn yùto be pregnant with; to nurture something into being育 = yù
- 哺育bǔ yùto feed and raise; to nurture育 = yù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 育 mean?
育 (yù) means to raise; to bring up; to nurture; to educate; to grow.
How do you pronounce 育?
It is pronounced yù.
What parts is 育 made of?
亠 (lid) and 厶 (private component) and 月 (moon; month). The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：8 画 = 亠 2 画 + 厶 2 画 + 月 4 画；上部两件为楷化后的现代形，历史来源未采信. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 育 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 育?
月. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 育?
Common ones are 体育 and 发育. The reading of 育 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.