§ Don't Confuse 供养 with 抚养 (fǔyǎng)
Many learners mix up 供养 (gòngyǎng) and 抚养 (fǔyǎng), as both relate to supporting someone. However, there's a key difference. 供养 specifically refers to providing financial support, often with an emphasis on taking care of elders or, less commonly, children, out of a sense of duty or reverence. 抚养, on the other hand, means to raise or bring up children, encompassing all aspects of their care, including financial, emotional, and educational support, until they are independent. Think of 抚养 as the broader term for raising kids, and 供养 as a specific type of financial provision, especially for dependents like parents or young children.
- DEFINITION
- 抚养: To raise; to bring up (children).
他们辛辛苦苦地抚养孩子长大成人。(They worked hard to raise their children until adulthood.)
You wouldn't typically use 供养 for the general act of raising children. It's more about providing for their needs, especially financially, in a way that implies a responsibility or even a burden, whereas 抚养 is the holistic process of upbringing.
§ Using 供养 for Non-Family Support
While 供养 can sometimes be used in a broader sense to mean "support" for a group or cause, its primary and most common usage, especially at the A2 level, is for supporting family members, particularly parents or children. Using it for things like "supporting a charity" or "supporting a friend's business" would sound unnatural and incorrect. For these situations, other verbs are more appropriate.
For supporting a charity or cause, you'd use 支持 (zhīchí) or 捐助 (juānzhù).
- DEFINITION
- 支持: To support (a cause, an idea, a person, financially or otherwise).
我们应该支持环保项目。(We should support environmental protection projects.)
- DEFINITION
- 捐助: To donate; to contribute (money or goods to a charity).
许多人捐助了受灾地区。(Many people donated to the disaster-stricken area.)
For supporting a friend or their business, 支持 is also the best choice.
我会一直支持我的朋友。(I will always support my friend.)
§ Not Understanding the Cultural Nuance
The word 供养 carries a strong cultural connotation of filial piety (孝顺, xiàoshùn) in Chinese culture. When you use 供养, you're not just saying "I financially support my parents"; you're also implying a sense of duty, respect, and gratitude. This isn't just about money; it's about fulfilling a traditional role. Misusing it can make your language sound either too formal for casual situations or imply a deeper obligation than intended.
For example, if you just want to say you provide for your young children, using 供养 is acceptable, but it focuses on the financial provision aspect. If you want to convey the broader care and upbringing, 抚养 is more suitable. When talking about parents, 供养 is almost always appropriate and understood in its full cultural context.
他努力工作，供养年迈的父母。(He works hard to support his elderly parents.)
Here, 供养 perfectly captures the financial support driven by filial piety.
Guide de prononciation
- the 'g' sound can sometimes be aspirated when it shouldn't be
Exemples par niveau
他努力工作供养他的父母。
He works hard to support his parents.
她一个人供养两个孩子。
She supports two children by herself.
供养家庭是他的责任。
Supporting the family is his responsibility.
他们年纪大了，需要儿女来供养。
They are old and need their children to support them.
我每个月都会寄钱回家供养。
I send money home every month for support.
他供养全家人的生活。
He supports the whole family's livelihood.
即使很穷，他也要供养他的妻子。
Even if he is poor, he will support his wife.
父母供养孩子直到他们长大。
Parents support their children until they grow up.
他努力工作供养年迈的父母。
He works hard to support his elderly parents.
她一个人供养着三个孩子，生活很不容易。
She supports three children by herself; life is not easy.
供养父母是中华民族的传统美德。
Supporting parents is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.
这家慈善机构主要供养贫困地区的孤儿。
This charity mainly supports orphans in impoverished areas.
即使生活困难，他也要尽力供养自己的家庭。
Even if life is difficult, he tries his best to support his family.
很多成年子女会定期给父母钱来供养他们。
Many adult children regularly give money to their parents to support them.
供养一个大家庭需要很大的经济压力。
Supporting a large family requires great financial pressure.
她为了供养弟弟妹妹读书，放弃了自己的学业。
She gave up her own studies to support her younger siblings' education.
Teste-toi 12 questions
她努力工作来___她的孩子。(tā nǔlì gōngzuò lái ___ tā de háizi.)
The sentence means 'She works hard to support her children.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) means to support.
他每个月都会给父母钱来___他们。(tā měi ge yuè dōu huì gěi fùmǔ qián lái ___ tāmen.)
The sentence means 'He gives money to his parents every month to support them.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) fits best here.
我们应该___年迈的父母。(wǒmen yīnggāi ___ niánmài de fùmǔ.)
The sentence means 'We should support our elderly parents.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) is the correct verb.
她一个人___全家。(tā yī gè rén ___ quán jiā.)
The sentence means 'She alone supports the whole family.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) is the appropriate word here.
父母辛苦地___我们。(fùmǔ xīnkǔ de ___ wǒmen.)
The sentence means 'Parents work hard to support us.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) is the correct choice.
他承诺会___他的孩子上大学。(tā chéngnuò huì ___ tā de háizi shàng dàxué.)
The sentence means 'He promised to support his child through college.' '供养' (gōngyǎng) is used in this context.
This sentence structure shows who is doing the supporting and for how long.
The subject 'she' decides to support her elderly grandparents. The verb '决定' (to decide) precedes '供养' (to support).
This sentence uses '虽然...仍然...' (although...still...) to show resilience in supporting his three children despite difficulties.
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
