养 (yǎng) is a Chinese character meaning “to raise or keep (a child, an animal)”. It is written from 丷 (two spreading strokes) and 三 (three) and 介 (to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part)), and takes 9 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
丷 + 三 + 介
Top–middle–bottom structure
- 丷 two spreading strokes simplified form
- 三 three · sān simplified form
- 介 to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part) · jiè simplified form
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：0-1 丷 / 2-4 三横 / 5-8 介形四笔）
Memory aid
Two dots (丷) drop onto three stacked shelves (三), and 介 stands underneath carrying them — food handed down, day after day: you raise something by feeding it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 养成yǎng chéngto form (a habit); to cultivate养 = yǎng
- 养分yǎng fènnutrient养 = yǎng
- 培养péi yǎngto cultivate; to train; to foster养 = yǎng
- 涵养hán yǎngself-restraint; inner cultivation; to conserve (water)养 = yǎng
- 营养yíng yǎngnutrition; nourishment养 = yǎng
- 饲养sì yǎngto raise (animals); to rear; to keep (livestock)养 = yǎng
Go deeper
All readings
to raise; to nurture
to raise or keep (a child, an animal); to support; to nurture; to form (a habit); to rest and recover
供给食物使人或动植物生长；抚育、供养；也指培育习惯或休息恢复。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 养成yǎng chéngto form (a habit); to cultivate养 = yǎng
- 养分yǎng fènnutrient养 = yǎng
- 培养péi yǎngto cultivate; to train; to foster养 = yǎng
- 涵养hán yǎngself-restraint; inner cultivation; to conserve (water)养 = yǎng
- 营养yíng yǎngnutrition; nourishment养 = yǎng
- 饲养sì yǎngto raise (animals); to rear; to keep (livestock)养 = yǎng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 养 mean?
养 (yǎng) means to raise or keep (a child, an animal); to support; to nurture; to form (a habit); to rest and recover.
How do you pronounce 养?
It is pronounced yǎng.
What parts is 养 made of?
丷 (two spreading strokes) and 三 (three) and 介 (to be between; to interpose (in 价 it is the sound part)). The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：0-1 丷 / 2-4 三横 / 5-8 介形四笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 养 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 养?
八. 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 养?
Common ones are 养成 and 养分. The reading of 养 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.