TongTong
Sign in

保持 (bǎo chí) — to keep, to maintain, to preserve

Definition

保持 means 'to keep/maintain' a state or condition that's already in place (保持安静 'keep quiet'). 维持 is similar but emphasizes sustaining against difficulty; 保存 focuses on saving/preserving something intact.

verb
to keepto maintainto preserve

Examples

  • 保持。
    Yùn dòng néng bǎo chí shēn tǐ jiàn kāng.
    Exercise can keep the body healthy.
  • 保持。
    Qǐng bǎo chí fáng jiān gān jìng zhěng jié.
    Please keep the room clean and tidy.
  • 保持。
    Wǒ men yì zhí bǎo chí mì qiè hé zuò.
    We have always maintained close cooperation.

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bǎokeep
持chíhold

保 and 持 both mean keep; together they mean to maintain a state.

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì持chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 持 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsAbstract Concepts2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.