餵 (wèi) - To feed (animals or people) & to raise (livestock)

餵Tone 4

wèi ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

餵 · wèi

To feed (animals or people);

to raise (livestock);

to tend to;

to nourish.

To feed (animals or people)to raise (livestock)to tend to

Usage highlights

Feed animalsFeed a babyRaise livestockFeed medicineArtificial feedingFeed grass

Synonyms

  • 喂— Simplified form of 餵; also used as interjection 'hello'
  • 飼— To raise animals; to feed livestock
  • 養— To raise; to bring up; to nourish

Antonyms

  • 餓— To starve; hunger
  • 飢— Hunger; famine

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She feeds the dog every morning (餵狗).
  • He is feeding the baby (餵嬰兒).
  • They raise chickens on the farm (餵雞).
  • Please feed the cat its medicine (餵貓吃藥).

Collocations

  • Feed animals(餵動物)
  • Feed a baby(餵嬰兒)
  • Raise livestock(餵養牲畜)
  • Feed medicine(餵藥)
  • Artificial feeding(人工餵養)
  • Feed grass(餵草)

Idioms

  • To feed a tiger what it covets(餵虎以肉)
  • To cast pearls before swine(明珠暗投, sometimes rendered as 對牛餵珍珠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally associated with animal husbandry and livestock raising in agricultural societies.
  • In modern usage, commonly used for both feeding animals and caring for infants/children.
  • The character contains the 'food' radical 食, clearly indicating its connection to nourishment.

FAQ