收养
shōuyǎng
The English phrase "adopted" is translated into Chinese as 收养 (shōuyǎng).
收养 means to legally take another person's child into your own family and raise them as your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 收养 is composed of 收, which means to receive or collect and 养, which means to raise or nurture.
Which one should you use?
While 收养 is the standard term for the legal and social act of adoption, 领养 is a common synonym often used in more casual or specific contexts of taking a child in.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate the completed action of having adopted a child, the particle 了 is often added after the verb, resulting in 收养了.
How do you pronounce it?
shōuyǎng
Did you know?
- Historically, some forms of adoption in China were 'temporary' arrangements where a child was raised by a relative but would return to their birth parents upon reaching adulthood.
- While 收养 is for humans, when people 'adopt' a pet in China, they often use the term 领养 'to lead and raise', emphasizing the act of rescuing an animal from a shelter.
- While 收养 is the formal term, in many spoken dialects, people may use the word 过继 (guòjì) to describe adoption specifically to carry on a family lineage.
Examples in context
- 他们收养了那个孤儿。They adopted the orphan.This sentence shows how to use 收养 to describe adopting an orphan.Tatoeba #8730054 by crescat, translation #305757 by CK
- 我们收养了一个孩子。We adopted a child.This sentence demonstrates the use of 收养 when saying a child was adopted.Tatoeba #9690048 by iMaple, translation #263053 by CK
- 他们收养了那个小女孩。They adopted the little girl.This sentence illustrates the use of 收养 in the context of adopting a little girl.Tatoeba #782323 by fucongcong, translation #291023 by CK
- 我被领养了I was adopted.
- 他是我收养的孩子He is the child I adopted.
- 我把他领回家了I brought him home (adopted him).
- 他是我收为养子的He is my adopted son.
- 我们领养了一个女婴。We adopted a baby girl.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a couple they know.
- 浩然 Haoran你听说他们决定收养一个孩子了吗？Nǐ tīngshuō tāmen juédìng shōuyǎng yīgè háizi le ma?Did you hear that they decided to adopt a child?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，我听说了，真是太棒了。Shì de, wǒ tīngshuō le, zhēn shì tài bàng le.Yes, I heard, that's really wonderful.
- 浩然 Haoran他们一直想收养孩子。Tāmen yīzhí xiǎng shōuyǎng háizi.They have always wanted to adopt children.
- 佳怡 Jiayi希望一切都能顺利。Xīwàng yīqiè dōu néng shùnlì.I hope everything goes smoothly.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
