养

The Chinese character 养 (yǎng) is composed of two parts: the radical 宀 (miàn), which represents a roof or shelter, and the phonetic component 恙 (yàng), which is a variant of the character 恙 (yàng), meaning "illness" or "sickness". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "nurturing" or "taking care of" something, as the roof provides shelter and protection, while the phonetic component implies the need for care and attention.The original meaning of 养 was "to raise animals", which later extended to include the meanings of "to nourish", "to support", and "to educate". In modern Chinese, 养 is commonly used in the sense of "to raise" or "to keep", as in 养孩子 (yǎng háizi, "to raise a child") or 养宠物 (yǎng chǒngwù, "to keep a pet"). It can also be used in the sense of "to nourish" or "to support", as in 养身体 (yǎng shēntǐ, "to nourish one's body") or 养家糊口 (yǎng jiā hú kǒu, "to support one's family").The character 养 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs, such as 养兵千日，用兵一时 (yǎng bīng qiān rì, yòng bīng yī shí, "to raise an army for a thousand days, to use it for one moment") and 养不教，父之过 (yǎng bù jiào, fù zhī guò, "if you raise a child without teaching him, it is the father's fault").Overall, the character 养 is a versatile and important character in Chinese, with a rich history and a wide range of meanings and uses.