(bǎo) - Nurse, governess & a woman who takes care of children

Tone 3

bǎo | 12 strokes | radical:

· bǎo

Nurse, governess;

a woman who takes care of children;

archaic term for a female guardian or caretaker.

Nurse, governessa woman who takes care of childrenarchaic term for a female guardian or caretaker.

Usage highlights

GovernessWet nurseChild caretakerNanny

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She worked as a governess (媬姆) for a wealthy family.
  • In ancient times, a 媬 was responsible for raising noble children.
  • The term 媬母 refers to a wet nurse or nanny.

Collocations

  • Governess(媬姆)
  • Wet nurse(媬母)
  • Child caretaker(保媬)
  • Nanny(媬妇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese society, 媬 referred to women employed by aristocratic families to care for children.
  • The character reflects historical gender roles where women were primarily responsible for childcare.
  • The radical 女 (woman) indicates the feminine nature of this occupation.

FAQ