保全 (bǎo quán) — to keep safe, to preserve, to maintain

Definition

保全 (bǎoquán) means 'to preserve' or 'to keep safe,' often used for things like property, rights, or lives. It feels more formal and goal-oriented than the simpler 保护 ('to protect'), which is the everyday word for shielding people or objects.

verb
to keep safeto preserveto maintain

Examples

  • 保全。
    Tā nǔ lì bǎo quán zì jǐ de cái chǎn.
    He tried to preserve his property.
  • 保全。
    Gōng sī bì xū bǎo quán kè hù de yǐn sī.
    The company must protect clients' privacy.
  • ,保全。
    Zài wēi xiǎn zhōng, tā shǒu xiān bǎo quán zì jǐ de shēng mìng.
    In danger, he first preserved his own life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

保bǎoprotect

保 means to protect, and 全 adds the result of keeping something whole or safe.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape puts 入 together with 玉 to show a whole piece of jade, so it means complete or whole.

Open 全 →
Appears in

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