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保有 (bǎo yǒu) — to possess, to retain, to keep (rights, assets, qualities)

Definition

保有 (bǎoyǒu) means 'to retain / keep' — emphasizes continuing to hold something already possessed, not acquiring it. More formal and written than the plain 有, and pairs with abstract or valued objects like rights, assets, or qualities.

verb
to possessto retainto keep (rights, assets, qualities)

Examples

  • 保有。
    Tā yī rán bǎo yǒu duì gōng sī de kòng zhì quán.
    He still retains control of the company.
  • 保有。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī bǎo yǒu yǒu le dà liàng de gù dìng zī chǎn.
    This company holds a large amount of fixed assets.
  • 保有。
    Tā yì zhí bǎo yǒu yǒu yì kē shàn liáng de xīn.
    She has always retained a kind heart.

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bǎoretain
有yǒuhave

「保」 (retain) and 「有」 (have) combine to mean keep possession of something.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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