担保书 (dān bǎo shū) — affidavit (a sworn written statement used in legal contexts); letter of guarantee / guarantee letter (a document promising to take responsibility for someone else's obligations)

Definition

A formal written document in which one party promises to take responsibility for another's obligations or debts. In legal settings it can also refer to a sworn written statement (affidavit).

noun
affidavit (a sworn written statement used in legal contexts)letter of guarantee / guarantee letter (a document promising to take responsibility for someone else's obligations)
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 担保书，。
    Tā qiān le yí fèn dān bǎo shū, bǎo zhèng àn shí huán kuǎn.
    He signed a guarantee letter promising to repay the loan on time.
  • 担保书。
    Fǎ yuàn yāo qiú yuán gào tí jiāo dān bǎo shū zuò wéi zhèng jù.
    The court required the plaintiff to submit an affidavit as evidence.
  • 担保书。
    Zhè fèn dān bǎo shū xū yào gōng zhèng chù gài zhāng cái yǒu xiào.
    This guarantee letter needs to be stamped by a notary office to be valid.

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.

担保guarantee
担dāntake responsibility保bǎoguarantee
联合Side by side
书shūdocument

担保, taking responsibility and guaranteeing, with 书, document, makes a written guarantee.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn担dàn
Same sound today

In 担, the left part 扌 is the hand, showing that the action involves using the hand. The right part 旦 shows how it sounds.

Open 担 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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