培养 (péiyǎng) — to cultivate; to nurture

培养 (péiyǎng)

培养 means to cultivate, nurture, or develop talents, skills, habits, or people through deliberate effort over time, with a positive connotation of growth and development.

Meanings

1. [verb] to cultivate; to nurture; to develop; to train; to foster

Example Sentences

学校的目标是培养学生的创造力和批判性思维。 Xuéxiào de mùbiāo shì péiyǎng xuésheng de chuàngzào lì hé pīpàn xìng sīwéi. The school's goal is to cultivate students' creativity and critical thinking.

她从小就培养了对音乐的热爱。 Tā cóng xiǎo jiù péiyǎng le duì yīnyuè de rèài. She cultivated a love of music from a young age.

公司投入大量资源培养优秀的管理人才。 Gōngsī tóurù dàliàng zīyuán péiyǎng yōuxiù de guǎnlǐ réncái. The company invests large resources in nurturing excellent management talent.

父母有责任培养孩子良好的生活习惯。 Fùmǔ yǒu zérèn péiyǎng háizi liánghǎo de shēnghuó xíguàn. Parents have a responsibility to cultivate good life habits in their children.

这所大学培养了许多杰出的科学家和工程师。 Zhè suǒ dàxué péiyǎng le xǔduō jiéchū de kēxuéjiā hé gōngchéngshī. This university has nurtured many outstanding scientists and engineers.

团队合作精神需要在日常工作中不断培养。 Tuánduì hézuò jīngshén xūyào zài rìcháng gōngzuò zhōng bùduàn péiyǎng. The spirit of teamwork needs to be constantly cultivated in daily work.

Collocations

Usage Notes

培养 is the most general and widely used term for nurturing and developing people or qualities. It differs from 培育 (péiyù), which focuses more on biological growth (plants, organisms) or the careful long-term nurturing of young people, and from 培训 (péixùn), which specifically means professional or skills training.

培养 takes abstract or human objects: 培养人才 (develop talent), 培养兴趣 (cultivate interest), 培养习惯 (develop habits). It implies a sustained, intentional process of positive development.

Memory Hook

培 contains 土 (earth/soil) at the bottom, suggesting planting and nurturing. 养 means "to raise/nourish." 培养 is to plant in fertile soil and nourish -- to cultivate something to its full potential.