Definition
哺育 (bǔ yù) means 'to feed' (especially animals feeding their young) and figuratively 'to nurture' (e.g., a river nourishing a civilization). It differs from 哺乳 (breastfeeding, only for mammals) and 抚养 (raising a child with all care, not just feeding). It also contrasts with 培育 (cultivating plants/talents) and 孕育 (giving birth to or conceiving ideas).
verb
to feed (of birds, animals)to nurtureto foster (figurative)
Easily confused
- 不予bùyǔsound-alike(formal phrase, before a verb) to not give; to withhold; to decline to (do something)
Examples
- 哺育。Mǔ niǎo yòng zuǐ bǔ yù yòu niǎo.The mother bird feeds her chicks with her beak.
- 哺育。Huáng Hé bǔ yù le Zhōnghuá wénmíng.The Yellow River nurtured Chinese civilization.
- 哺育。Lǎoshī de jiàohuì bǔ yù le yí dài yòu yí dài xuéshēng.The teacher's instruction nurtured generations of students.
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