‘收养’ (shōu yǎng) is a verb meaning ‘to adopt’—specifically, to legally take another person’s child into one’s own family and assume full parental rights and responsibilities. The first character, 收 (shōu), means ‘to receive’ or ‘to take in’, while the second, 养 (yǎng), means ‘to raise’ or ‘to nurture’. Together, they convey the idea of formally receiving a child and raising them as one’s own. This term is used exclusively for human children in legal and social contexts; it is not used for pets or animals in standard Mandarin (for which you’d use 领养 or adopt informally).

‘收养’ implies official procedures: approval by authorities, documentation, and often court involvement. It carries strong emotional and ethical weight, reflecting long-term commitment and care. Unlike casual expressions like 带养 (to look after temporarily), 收养 signifies permanence and legal equivalence to biological parenthood. It appears frequently in news reports, legal documents, family discussions, and social services contexts.