How to say "breeding" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 飼育しいくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers breeding in the sense of raising and keeping animals under human care, such as in zoos or on farms. The emphasis is on feeding and caring for creatures rather than on reproduction itself.
- 繁殖はんしょくnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe usual choice for breeding as reproduction: animals or plants producing offspring and multiplying. Typical contexts include wildlife breeding seasons, livestock breeding programs, and efforts to increase populations.
- 育ちそだちnounMatches 'breeding' mainly in the sense of growth or upbringing — how someone was raised. It is seldom the word you want for breeding in the agricultural or biological sense; think 'upbringing' first.
- 育種いくしゅnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA technical term for breeding of plants or animals, especially the deliberate improvement of varieties or strains. Use it in agricultural science contexts such as developing new crop cultivars.
- 生育せいいくnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbPrimarily means birth and growth, or development of plants and organisms; 'breeding' here refers to giving birth and raising young. Choose it when the focus is on growth and developmental stages rather than on producing offspring.
Use 飼育 for keeping and raising animals, 繁殖 for reproduction and propagation, 育種 for breeding of plants or animals, 「育ち」 for growth or upbringing, and 生育 for birth, growth and development.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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