哺

餔

bǔ, bū

口 + 甫

Definitions

bǔ (verb) to feed; to nurse

bū (noun) evening meal

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 甫 represents the sound. Simplified form of 餔.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 甫

About

The character 哺 is a phono-semantic compound. The mouth radical 口 on the left indicates an action related to eating or the mouth, while the right component 甫 provides the phonetic value. Its core meaning is the act of feeding an infant or young animal, such as a mother nursing or a bird feeding its chicks. This specific nurturing action broadened to encompass the general concepts of rearing and providing sustenance for the young. The character is foundational for medical and biological terms related to mammals and lactation, directly linking to the process of maternal nourishment.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

母亲用乳汁哺育婴儿。

Mǔqīn yòng rǔzhī bǔyù yīng'ér.

The mother nourishes the baby with her milk.

小鸟等待母亲哺食。

Xiǎo niǎo děngdài mǔqīn bǔ shí.

The baby bird waits for its mother to feed it.

乌鸦有反哺的美好习性。

Wūyā yǒu fǎnbǔ de měihǎo xíxìng.

Crows have the admirable instinct of feeding their parents in return.

他立志投身于哺育他的乡村教育事业。

Tā lìzhì tóushēn yú bǔyù tā de xiāngcūn jiàoyù shìyè.

He is determined to devote himself to the rural education that nurtured him.

这本书像乳汁一样哺育了我的精神。

Zhè běn shū xiàng rǔzhī yīyàng bǔyùle wǒ de jīngshén.

This book nourished my spirit like milk.

这种文化传统哺育了一代又一代的艺术家。

Zhè zhǒng wénhuà chuántǒng bǔyùle yīdài yòu yīdài de yìshùjiā.

This cultural tradition has nurtured generations of artists.

老教授用毕生心血哺育了众多学子。

Lǎo jiàoshòu yòng bìshēng xīnxuè bǔyùle zhòngduō xuézǐ.

The old professor nurtured numerous students with his lifelong dedication.

他的成功，既靠个人奋斗，也得益于时代的哺育。

Tā de chénggōng, jì kào gèrén fèndòu, yě déyì yú shídài de bǔyù.

His success relies both on personal struggle and the nurturing of the times.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 甫

哺