nuoi

Nuôi is a Vietnamese verb that denotes providing care, sustenance, and development for living beings or living systems over time. The core sense is to raise, rear, or feed in order to promote growth and well-being. It commonly appears with humans, animals, and aquatic or plant life.

Common uses include nuôi con (to raise a child), nuôi dạy con cái (to educate and rear children), and nuôi thú or nuôi gia súc (to keep or raise livestock). In everyday life people say nuôi gà, nuôi vịt, nuôi cá, nuôi bò, nuôi ong, or more generally nuôi thú cưng for pets. In agriculture and aquaculture, nuôi is frequently combined with a specific species, as in nuôi tằm (rearing silkworms), nuôi tôm (shrimp farming), or nuôi cua. The phrase nuôi trồng thủy sản refers to aquaculture and the combined practice of raising aquatic animals and cultivating aquatic plants.

Nuôi also appears in compound expressions that emphasize nurture rather than mere sustenance. Nuôi dưỡng conveys fostering growth or development, while nuôi nấng specifically refers to affectionate upbringing of children or dependents. Metaphorically, nuôi can describe fostering intangible things, such as nuôi hi vọng (nurturing hope) or nuôi ước mộng (nurturing dreams).

Etymologically, nuôi is a native Vietnamese verb and forms a wide range of fixed expressions and collocations in everyday and formal language.