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保佑 (bǎo yòu) — to bless and protect (by gods, Buddha, ancestors, etc.)

Definition

Used when gods, Buddha, or ancestors grant protection and safety — a spiritual 'bless and protect', not a verbal well-wishing like 祝福 (which people say to each other on occasions).

verb
to bless and protect (by gods, Buddha, ancestors, etc.)

Examples

  • 保佑。
    Qiú fó zǔ bǎo yòu nǐ píng ān.
    Pray to Buddha to bless you with safety.
  • 保佑。
    Tā měi tiān dōu qí dǎo shàng tiān bǎo yòu tā de jiā rén.
    He prays every day for heaven to bless his family.
  • ，保佑。
    Wǒ zài miào lǐ kē tóu, xī wàng pú sà bǎo yòu wǒ.
    I kowtowed in the temple, hoping the Bodhisattva would bless me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

保bǎoprotect
佑yòubless

保 means to protect, and 佑 means to bless or shield, so together they mean to bless and protect.

Characters in this word

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
右
右yòu佑
Same sound today

佑 pairs 亻, written in full as 人, with 右 as its sound part.

Open 佑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Religion & Belief3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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