What does 育 mean in Japanese?
育 means “raise, grow, nurture” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 育つ (to grow up), 育てる (to raise), and 教育 (education).
For learners, the key is to study 育 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: イク (iku)
Kun’yomi: そだ-つ (soda-tsu), そだ-てる (soda-teru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 育 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
育 is not limited to one English translation. In 育つ (そだつ), it means to grow up; in 育てる (そだてる), it points to to raise; and in 教育 (きょういく), it is used for education. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 育つ（そだつ / sodatsu） — to grow up
- 育てる（そだてる / sodateru） — to raise
- 教育（きょういく / kyōiku） — education
- 体育（たいいく / taiiku） — physical education
- 育児（いくじ / ikuji） — childcare
- 保育園（ほいくえん / hoikuen） — nursery school
Example Sentences
-
子どもが元気に育っています。
こどもがげんきにそだっています。 / Kodomo ga genki ni sodatte imasu.
The child is growing up healthy.
-
花を大切に育てます。
はなをたいせつにそだてます。 / Hana o taisetsu ni sodatemasu.
I carefully raise the flowers.
-
教育は未来を作ります。
きょういくはみらいをつくります。 / Kyōiku wa mirai o tsukurimasu.
Education builds the future.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 育つ (そだつ / sodatsu) because it keeps the core meaning of 育 clear. Then add 育てる and 教育 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 育 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
育 means “raise, grow, nurture” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 育つ, 育てる, and 教育.