培 — “Cultivate / Foster” in Japanese

Master (高手)ばい, つちか

Radical ⼟ · radical 32 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Cultivate / Foster” in Japanese is 培, read bai, tsuchika (ばい, つちか). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 栽培 (cultivation).

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What does 培 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	培
Meaning	Cultivate / Foster
Readings	ばい, つちか
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	栽培 (cultivation)

How to read 培

培 is read bai (ばい) or tsuchika (つちか) depending on the word.

Words with 培

栽培

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Kanji read the same way as 培

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28