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保育 (ほいく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
nursing ; suckling ; raising
Primarily used for animals: feeding (especially suckling) and raising young. Can also refer to human childcare in some contexts, but 保育 is more common for human childcare.
こ
ライオン
を
哺ほ
育いく
し
て
いる
。
At the zoo, keepers are nursing the lion cub in place of its mother.
Written forms 保ほ 育いく Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling for nursing and raising, especially in childcare contexts.
哺ほ 育いく Usage 1%
Rare kanji variant; the 哺 character specifically suggests suckling or feeding with the mouth.
Kanji 育 bring up, grow up, raise 保 protect, guarantee, keep Similar words 飼し 育いく 飼育 is broader, meaning 'breeding' or 'keeping' animals, while 哺育 specifically emphasizes nursing and raising the young.
保ほ 育いく 保育 is the standard term for human childcare and early childhood education, whereas 哺育 is more technical and animal-focused.
Etymology Compound of 哺 (ho, 'suckle, feed') + 育 (iku, 'raise, bring up'). The kanji 哺 is relatively rare and strongly associated with mouth-to-mouth feeding.
