保持
bǎo chí HSK 5

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

请保持安静。
Qǐng bǎochí ānjìng.
Please keep quiet.
他保持健康的生活习惯。
Tā bǎochí jiànkāng de shēnghuó xíguàn.
He maintains healthy living habits.
我们需要保持联系。
Wǒmen xūyào bǎochí liánxì.
We need to keep in touch.
保持安静。
Bǎochí ānjìng.
Keep quiet.
保持健康。
Bǎochí jiànkāng.
Stay healthy.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 保持 as 'hold (持) onto something to keep it preserved (保).' Imagine holding a precious item to maintain its condition—this links to the word's meaning of keeping things stable over time.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese. It appears in various contexts, such as instructions (e.g., public signs), personal advice (e.g., maintaining health), and formal discussions (e.g., maintaining relationships or standards).

📖 Grammar Points

保持 is a transitive verb followed by a noun or adjective object (e.g., 保持安静 - keep quiet). It can be used in imperative sentences (e.g., 请保持秩序) and is often paired with adverbs like 一直 (yīzhí - always) to emphasize duration (e.g., 一直保持乐观).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 保持 is associated with values like harmony and persistence; for instance, maintaining good relationships (保持良好关系) is emphasized in social interactions. It's also common in public etiquette, such as keeping quiet in libraries, reflecting respect for shared spaces.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 维持 (wéichí), which often implies sustaining something with effort (e.g., maintaining order or life), 保持 focuses more on preserving an existing state without change. 保留 (bǎoliú) means 'to retain' or 'reserve,' often for physical items or opinions, while 保持 is about abstract states.

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