培う
つちかう·tsuchikau
Meaning
to cultivate; to foster; to develop; to nurture; to build up over time
Nuance & Usage
培う literally means to till the soil and nurture growth — and by extension, to cultivate skills, qualities, relationships, or values through sustained effort over time. 信頼を培う (to build trust), 感性を培う (to cultivate sensibility), 経験を通じて培われた (nurtured through experience) are natural expressions. Unlike 育てる (sodateru — to raise/raise up, often for people or plants), 培う has a stronger sense of long-term, deliberate development of abstract qualities. It is often used in formal and literary contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners confuse 培う with 育てる (sodateru — to raise/develop, more concrete) and 養う (yashinau — to support/nurture, often for dependents or abilities). 培う specifically implies building something up gradually through sustained effort — it's almost always used for abstract qualities like trust, sensitivity, or skills. 培ってきた経験 (experience cultivated over time) is a very natural phrase. 培う takes を: スキルを培う (to cultivate skills).
Example Sentences (3)
幼い頃から本を読む習慣が、豊かな感性を培う。
おさないころからほんをよむしゅうかんが、ゆたかなかんせいをつちかう。
The habit of reading from a young age cultivates a rich sense of sensibility.
多様な経験を通じて、広い視野と判断力を培ってきた。
たようなけいけんをつうじて、ひろいしやとはんだんりょくをつちかってきた。
Through diverse experiences, I have cultivated a broad perspective and sound judgment.
長年の関係の中で培われた信頼は、何ものにも代えがたい財産だ。
ながねんのかんけいのなかでつちかわれたしんらいは、なにものにもかえがたいざいさんだ。
The trust nurtured through years of relationship is an asset that nothing can replace.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N14 questionsTest your knowledge of 培う with 4 different question types.
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