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保育 (ほいく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
childcare ; nurturing ; day care
Broad term covering the care and upbringing of children, especially in institutional or professional settings. Often used in compounds like 保育園 (nursery school) and 保育士 (childcare worker).
の
質しつ
を
向こう
上じょう
さ
せる
取と
り
組く
み
が
進すす
ん
で
いる
。
Efforts to improve the quality of childcare are underway.
Kanji 保 protect, guarantee, keep 育 bring up, grow up, raise Similar words 育いく 児じ 育児 focuses on child-rearing at home by parents, while 保育 often implies professional or institutional care.
養よう 育いく 養育 is a more formal term for raising and supporting a child, often used in legal or social welfare contexts.
Etymology Compound of 保 (protect, keep) and 育 (raise, nurture). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of caring for and raising children.