力保 (lì bǎo) — to strive to protect, to do one's utmost to ensure or maintain

Definition

力保 means to make an all-out effort to keep or protect something (a position, share, stability). The first character emphasizes the 'utmost effort', so the focus is on striving, not just protecting.

verb
to strive to protect, to do one's utmost to ensure or maintain

Examples

  • 力保。
    Zhè zhī qiú duì yào lì bǎo guàn jūn de wèi zhì.
    This team must strive to protect its championship position.
  • 力保。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài lì bǎo shì chǎng fèn é bú xià jiàng.
    The company is doing everything to ensure its market share doesn't drop.
  • 力保。
    Zhèng fǔ cǎi qǔ le yí xì liè cuò shī lì bǎo shè huì wěn dìng.
    The government adopted a series of measures to strive to maintain social stability.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

力lìeffort
保bǎoprotect

力 means effort, 保 means protect; together they mean to protect or ensure with great effort.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

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 →

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