监护 (jiān hù) — to act as a guardian; to take legal guardianship of (a minor or incapacitated person)

Definition

A legal term: formally taking legal guardianship of a minor or incapacitated person, with rights and duties set by law. Unlike 看守/看管 (everyday guarding of people or things), 监护 is a legal status granted by a court.

verb
to act as a guardianto take legal guardianship of (a minor or incapacitated person)

Examples

  • 监护。
    Fǎ yuàn zhǐ dìng tā jiān hù zhè ge hái zi.
    The court appointed him to act as guardian for this child.
  • ，监护。
    Fù mǔ qù shì hòu, shū shu fù zé jiān hù tā men.
    After the parents passed away, the uncle is responsible for their guardianship.
  • 监护。
    Yī yuàn xū yào jiā shǔ qiān zì cái néng jìn xíng jiān hù.
    The hospital needs a family member to sign before proceeding with guardianship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

监jiānsupervise
护hùguard

监 (supervise) and 护 (guard) combine to mean overseeing and protecting someone.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 監; 监 is its simplified writing.

  • 臥臥wòa person with an emphasized eye
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The traditional form 監 shows 臥, a person with an emphasized eye, looking into 皿, a container; the simplified 监 is a later shorthand.

Open 监 →

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
户
户hù护hù
Same sound today

护 combines 扌 (the hand form 手) with 户, which gives the sound hù.

Open 护 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Law & Justice

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