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培う (つちかう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-u), transitive verb
cultivate ; foster ; nurture
Used for developing intangible qualities such as skills, relationships, trust, or culture through sustained effort over time. Not used for physical farming.
読どく 書しょ は 豊ゆた か な 感かん 性せい を 培つちか う の に 役やく 立だ つ 。
Reading helps foster a rich sensibility.
Written forms 培つちか う Usage 93%
Standard kanji spelling for cultivating, fostering, or nurturing something over time.
つちかう Usage 7%
Similar words 育そだ てる 育てる is broader and more concrete, used for raising children, animals, and plants, as well as developing skills. 培う is more abstract and emphasizes gradual, careful cultivation of intangible qualities.
養やしな う 養う often implies providing material support or nourishment to sustain someone or something, while 培う focuses on the process of building up intangible assets like trust or culture.
Etymology The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 培 is conventionally associated with cultivating or building up, and the reading つちかう may be related to 土 (つち, 'soil') and 養う (かう, 'to nourish'), suggesting a metaphorical sense of enriching soil.
