<p>From <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/54173.htm" rel="nofollow">Baidu Baike:</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>指人的行为和涵养，与人的性格、心理、道德、文化等有着紧密的联系，即为人综合素质的表现。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Simple Translation:</p>

<p>修养 refers to a person's behavior and conservation, which is closely linked with his personality, psychological state, moral view, cultural knowledge and things. It is the overall quality of a person.</p>

<p>So it is a big word. It can refer to how much a person knows in a particular area, or how a person treat the others, or many things else.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-21T02:10:57.133Z
I agree. I think it has some of the nuances of 'breeding'. I also suspect the term has Confucian overtones -- it sounds like the thinking of Zhu Xi and people of that era, who talked of things like moral cultivation.
Bathrobe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-21T03:14:29.037Z
@Bathrobe Yeah~ The Baidu Baike page includes a paragraph from Cheng Yi's works. Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi are usually mentioned together.
Dante WWWW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-15T09:19:04.997Z
2012-02-15T09:19:04.997Z
Dante WWWW
<p>The <a href="http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E4%BF%AE%E5%85%BB" rel="nofollow">dictionary</a> defines 修养 as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>accomplishment / training / self-cultivation</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However many examples in context seem to have the sense of the development of being a gentleman / lady, or being cultured.</p>

<p>I would like to know what kind of personal development 修养 implies. In western bookshops, for example, there is often a "self help" section. Is this 修养? What about religious practice?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-18T07:16:22.240Z
素质 and 修养 are always used together. "一个高素质高修养的人" is a gentleman that's kind and educated.
gonnastop
<meaning><meaning-in-context>
Meaning of 修养­­­­
# Meaning of 修养­­­­

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-15)

The [dictionary](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E4%BF%AE%E5%85%BB) defines 修养 as:

> accomplishment / training / self-cultivation

However many examples in context seem to have the sense of the development of being a gentleman / lady, or being cultured.

I would like to know what kind of personal development 修养 implies. In western bookshops, for example, there is often a "self help" section. Is this 修养? What about religious practice?

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 素质 and 修养 are always used together. "一个高素质高修养的人" is a gentleman that's kind and educated.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-02-15. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

From [Baidu Baike:](http://baike.baidu.com/view/54173.htm)

> 指人的行为和涵养，与人的性格、心理、道德、文化等有着紧密的联系，即为人综合素质的表现。

Simple Translation:

修养 refers to a person's behavior and conservation, which is closely linked with his personality, psychological state, moral view, cultural knowledge and things. It is the overall quality of a person.

So it is a big word. It can refer to how much a person knows in a particular area, or how a person treat the others, or many things else.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I agree. I think it has some of the nuances of 'breeding'. I also suspect the term has Confucian overtones -- it sounds like the thinking of Zhu Xi and people of that era, who talked of things like moral cultivation.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Yeah~ The Baidu Baike page includes a paragraph from Cheng Yi's works. Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi are usually mentioned together.  

---

