哺
Mnemonic
A mouth opens wide at the beginning of life — a newborn's very first instinct is to suckle. From the beginning, that tiny mouth latches on and suckles with surprising force, drawing warm milk and comfort.
Additional thoughts
Picture a newborn baby's mouth rooting and latching — the very beginning of existence is defined by this primal suckling reflex. Mouth + Beginning = Suckle.Quick recall
A mouth at life's beginning instinctively knows to suckle.Details
The keyword for 哺 is suckle. This kanji refers to the act of feeding or nursing, particularly the way a mother nourishes her young by giving milk or chewed food from the mouth. It conveys the intimate, nurturing process of sustaining new life through direct feeding. By extension, it can also refer more broadly to the act of rearing or nurturing someone.
- On'yomi
- ほ
- Kun'yomi
- はぐく.む、ふく.む