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守信用 (shǒu xìn yòng) — to keep a promise, to honor one's word

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'to keep one's word / honor a promise' — focuses on a person's reliability over time, not on a single act. Compare 守约, which centers on honoring a specific appointment or agreement.

verb
to keep a promiseto honor one's word

Examples

  • 守信用。
    Tā shì gè hěn shǒu xìn yòng de rén.
    He is a person who keeps his word.
  • 。
    Tā cóng lái méi yǒu shǒu guò yí cì xìn yòng.
    He has never once kept his word.
  • 守信用，。
    Zuò shēng yi yí dìng yào shǒu xìn yòng, cái néng yíng dé kè hù de xìn rèn.
    In business you must keep your word to win customers' trust.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

守shǒukeep
信用credit
信xìntrust用yònguse
联合Coordinate

守 gives keep, while 信 and 用 combine as trust and use to mean credit.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 →

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

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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