Japanese symbol for “foster”
培う
つちかう
Romaji: tsuchikau
to cultivate; to foster
In Japanese, foster is 培う, read つちかう (tsuchikau).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5u, vt to cultivate; to foster
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “foster”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 養う | やしなう yashinau | to cultivate (a habit, a quality, etc.); to develop; to build up |
| 育てる | そだてる sodateru | to promote the growth of; to nurture; to foster |
| 育む | はぐくむ hagukumu | to cultivate; to foster; to nurture |
| 養い育てる | やしないそだてる yashinaisodateru | to bring up; to foster; to rear |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 栽培 | さいばい saibai | cultivation |
| 培養 | ばいよう baiyou | culture; cultivation |
| 培地 | ばいち baichi | culture medium; growth medium |
| 水栽培 | みずさいばい mizusaibai | hydroponics |
| 育成栽培 | いくせいさいばい ikuseisaibai | vegetable and fruit growing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “foster”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.