养 yǎng — give birth; keep (pets); to support; to bring sb. up; to raise (pig; etc.)
他在家里养了一只小猫。Tā zài jiā lǐ yǎng le yì zhī xiǎo māo.He keeps a kitten at home.
Common words: 营养 (yíng yǎng)、培养 (péi yǎng)、养成 (yǎng chéng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "pig"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "pig", including 养 (yǎng), 圈 (quān / juān / juàn), 猪 (zhū). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "pig" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 养 (yǎng), 圈 (quān / juān / juàn), 猪 (zhū) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yǎng, quān, juān, juàn, zhū — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 养 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 养 yǎnggive birth; keep (pets); to support; to bring sb. up; to raise (pig; etc.)Useful words: 营养, 培养
- 圈 quān / juān / juànto confine; enclose; pen (pig); a fold; circle; ringUseful words: 圈套, 圈子
- 猪 zhūhog; pig; swineUseful words: 生猪, 猪年
Common words for these 3 "pig" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 养 (yǎng) — so "pig" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
营养yíng yǎngnutrition; nourishment培养péi yǎngto cultivate; to breed; to foster; to nurture养成yǎng chéngto cultivate; to raise; to form (a habit); to acquire圈套quān tàotrap; snare; trick圈子quān zicircle; ring; (social) circle演艺圈yǎn yì quānshow business生猪shēng zhūlive pig; pig on the hoof猪年zhū niánYear of the Boar (e.g. 2007)公猪gōng zhūboar
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "pig".
圈 quān / juān / juàn — to confine; enclose; pen (pig); a fold; circle; ring
大家围成一个圈，做起了游戏。Dà jiā wéi chéng yí ge quān, zuò qǐ le yóu xì.Everyone formed a circle and started playing games.
Common words: 圈套 (quān tào)、圈子 (quān zi)、演艺圈 (yǎn yì quān)
猪 zhū — hog; pig; swine
农场里养了几头肥肥的猪。Nóng chǎng lǐ yǎng le jǐ tóu féi féi de zhū.The farm raises a few fat pigs.
Common words: 生猪 (shēng zhū)、猪年 (zhū nián)、公猪 (gōng zhū)
All 3 characters
Open 养、圈、猪 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.