信守 (xìn shǒu) — to abide by (a promise, commitment), to keep (one's word)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to abide by / keep' a promise, commitment, or contract. Pairs with nouns like 诺言, 承诺, 合同 — emphasizes faithfully honoring what one pledged, more solemn than plain 遵守.

verb
to abide by (a promise, commitment)to keep (one's word)

Examples

  • 信守。
    Rén rén dōu yīng gāi xìn shǒu zì jǐ de nuò yán.
    Everyone should keep their own promises.
  • 信守。
    Gōng sī yì zhí xìn shǒu hé tong zhōng de guī dìng.
    The company has always abided by the provisions in the contract.
  • 信守。
    Wǒ men xìn shǒu duì gù kè de chéng nuò.
    We keep our promises to customers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

信xìnkeep faith
守shǒuguard

信 (keep faith) and 守 (guard) combine to mean holding to a promise.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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

  • 宀宀miánroof; building
  • 寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Open 守 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.