保守 (bǎo shǒu) — (adjective) conservative; (verb) to keep, to guard (a secret, tradition, etc.)
Definition
As an adjective, 保守 means 'conservative' (ideas, estimates, attitudes) — distinct from 传统 ('traditional'), which describes established customs rather than a resistance to change. As a verb, 保守秘密 means 'to keep a secret,' parallel to 守 in 守秘密.
adjective
conservative
verb
to keepto guard (a secret, tradition, etc.)
Examples
- 保守。Tā de xiǎng fǎ hěn bǎo shǒu.His ideas are very conservative.
- 保守。Qǐng nǐ bǎo shǒu zhè ge mì mì.Please keep this secret.
- 保守，。Zhè shì bǎo shǒu gū jì, shí jì shù zì kě néng gèng gāo.This is a conservative estimate; the actual number may be higher.
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