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Kotomora

飼

domesticate, raise, keep, feed

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · grade 5FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • シ

Kun'yomi

  • か.う

Nanori

  • かい

Meaning

飼 centers on providing care and sustenance to animals: domesticating, raising, keeping, and feeding them.

Most common words using 飼

20 of 52
  • 飼うかう
    N4

    to keep (a pet or other animal); to have; to own; to raise; to rear; to feed

  • 飼い主かいぬし
    N2

    (pet) owner; keeper

  • 飼育しいく
    N2

    breeding; raising; rearing; keeping

  • 飼料しりょう

    fodder; feed

  • 飼い犬かいいぬ

    pet dog

  • 放し飼いはなしがい

    free-range rearing; letting (animals) roam freely; pasturing; grazing

  • 子飼いこがい

    rearing from infancy

  • 鵜飼いうかい

    cormorant fishing

  • 飼養しよう

    breeding; raising

  • 飼いかい

    raising (of animals); rearing; keeping

  • 飼い殺しかいごろし

    keeping a domestic animal beyond its useful life

  • 飼い葉かいば

    fodder

  • 飼い猫かいねこ

    pet cat

  • ケージ飼育ケージしいく

    cage feeding

  • バタリー飼育バタリーしいく

    battery rearing; battery raising; battery farming

  • 地上飼育ちじょうしいく

    floor feeding

  • 外飼いそとがい

    keeping (a pet) outdoors

  • 多頭飼いたとうがい

    owning multiple animals (esp. pets of the same kind)

  • 多頭飼育たとうしいく

    large-scale breeding

  • 多頭飼育崩壊たとうしいくほうかい

    animal hoarding; compulsive accumulation of pets

Explore all words using 飼 →

Study

Etymology

飼 combines 飠 (food/eat) with 司, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of managing or overseeing, together suggesting feeding and caring for animals.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 飠 means food or eating, and the right side 司 looks like a person managing something. Picture a person giving food to an animal to raise and keep it.

Reading mnemonic

For シ, imagine a sheep (シ sounds like 'she') being fed and raised: sheep -> シ, and the sheep is kept well-fed.