bǔ

哺

Character · Verb · Noun

feed; chewed food

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 7 examples
1.

verb

to feed (young that cannot forage themselves)

Most commonly used for feeding infant animals or young human children who cannot eat on their own.

Mǔ母
niǎo鸟
zhèng正
zài在
bǔ哺
yù育
tā它
de的
chú雏
niǎo鸟
 。

The mother bird is feeding her chicks.

Xióng熊
māo猫
mā妈
ma妈
huì会
gěi给
yòu幼
zǎi崽
bǔ哺
rǔ乳
 。

A panda mother will nurse her cubs.

Show 3 more examples
Bǎo保
yù育
yuán员
zhèng正
zài在
bǔ哺
yù育
gū孤
ér儿
yuàn院
de的
yīng婴
ér儿
 。

The childcare worker is feeding the babies at the orphanage.

Zhè这
zhī只
mǔ母
láng狼
bǔ哺
yù育
le了
shī失
qù去
shuāng双
qīn亲
de的
yòu幼
hǔ虎
 。

This female wolf raised the tiger cubs that lost their parents.

Mǔ母
rǔ乳
bǔ喂
yù养
duì对
yīng婴
ér儿
de的
jiàn健
kāng康
hěn很
zhòng重
yào要
 。

Breastfeeding is very important for infant health.

2.

noun

chewed food; masticated food

literary

This is a literary and archaic usage, rarely seen in modern spoken Chinese.

Lǎo老
fù妇
rén人
tǔ吐
chū出
bǔ哺
 ，
chóng重
xīn新
jǔ咀
jué嚼
hòu后
wèi喂
gěi给
sūn孙
ér儿
 。

The old woman spat out her chewed food, chewed it again, then fed it to her grandson.

Gǔ古
dài代
wén文
xiàn献
zhōng中
jì记
zǎi载
le了
yǐ以
bǔ哺
yù育
yòu幼
de的
tè特
shū殊
xí习
sú俗
 。

Ancient texts record special customs of feeding young with chewed food.