教育
きょういく · kyouiku · JLPT N4 · noun
education
🎓📚 教育 = teach (教) + raise/nurture (育)
教 means to teach, as in 教える (oshieru). 育 means to raise or bring up, as in 育てる (sodateru). Education is literally teaching plus raising a person. Sound hook: kyou-iku starts like 今日 (kyou, today) + 行く (iku, go): today, go to school.
教 — 老 (filial son being taught) + 攵 (hand with stick)
教 originally depicted an adult holding a stick or rod (攵) instructing a child, often shown with the element 爻 (lessons/counting) above 子 (child). It is a classic associative compound meaning 'to teach' or 'to instruct,' with the right side suggesting discipline and guidance. The modern meanings 'teach, religion, doctrine' all extend from this image of formal instruction.