抚养
fǔ yǎng · HSK 7
to bring up
🤱 抚 stroke/comfort + 养 raise/nurture = bring up with care
抚 (fǔ) means to soothe or stroke gently; 养 (yǎng) means to raise or nourish. Together they describe the act of raising a child with care and support — fostering or bringing up.
养 — sheep 羊 (top) + 八 over 艮-like base; simplified from 養 (食 + 羊)
The traditional form 養 combined 食 'food' with 羊 'sheep' as the phonetic, depicting the act of feeding sheep and, by extension, raising or nourishing living things. The simplified form 养 keeps 羊 on top but drops the 食 component. From 'feed' the meaning broadened to rear, support, and cultivate.