保 meaning and stroke order
To defend; to protect; to keep; to guarantee; to ensure; (old) civil administration unit in the baojia 保甲[bao3 jia3] system
How to write 保, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 保
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to defend; to protect; to keep
- to guarantee; to ensure
- (old) civil administration unit in the baojia 保甲[bao3 jia3] system
How 保 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 呆 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 保
保 is a person 亻 standing beside 呆, which gives the sound. Picture a person 亻 standing guard over something to keep it safe.
保 (bǎo) rarely appears alone in modern speech. It usually shows up in words like 保护 (bǎohù, to protect), 保证 (bǎozhèng, to guarantee) and 保持 (bǎochí, to maintain). Example: 我们要保护环境。(Wǒmen yào bǎohù huánjìng.) We should protect the environment.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 杲 or 果 instead of 呆, which is 口 on top of 木. Also keep 保 (bǎo) in the third tone, and do not confuse it with 宝 (bǎo, treasure), which sounds the same.
Common words with 保
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 保护 | bǎohù | to protect; to defend | HSK 3 |
| 保证 | bǎozhèng | guarantee; to guarantee | HSK 3 |
| 保持 | bǎochí | to keep; to maintain | HSK 3 |
| 确保 | quèbǎo | to ensure; to guarantee | HSK 3 |
| 保安 | bǎo'ān | to ensure public security; to ensure safety (for workers engaged in production) | HSK 3 |
| 保险 | bǎoxiǎn | insurance; to insure | HSK 3 |
| 保留 | bǎoliú | to keep; to retain | HSK 3 |
| 保存 | bǎocún | to conserve; to preserve; to keep; to store; (computing) to save (a file etc) | HSK 3 |
| 环保 | huánbǎo | environmental protection; environmentally friendly | HSK 3 |
| 保密 | bǎomì | to keep sth confidential; to maintain secrecy | HSK 4 |
| 保守 | bǎoshǒu | conservative; to guard | HSK 4 |
| 担保 | dānbǎo | to guarantee; to vouch for | HSK 4 |
| 保卫 | bǎowèi | to defend; to safeguard | HSK 5 |
| 保养 | bǎoyǎng | to take good care of (or conserve) one's health; to keep in good repair | HSK 5 |
保 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 保
Learning 保 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 保
How many strokes are in 保?
保 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 保 mean?
保 (bǎo) means to defend; to protect; to keep; to guarantee; to ensure; (old) civil administration unit in the baojia 保甲[bao3 jia3] system. A common word with it is 保护 (bǎohù), meaning "to protect; to defend".
How do you pronounce 保?
保 is pronounced bǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 保?
The radical of 保 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 保 under this radical.
Is 保 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 保 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 保持 and 保存?
保持 (bǎochí) means to keep a state or condition going, like 保持安静 (keep quiet). 保存 (bǎocún) means to store or preserve a thing, like food or a computer file.
How do you say save a file in Chinese?
Use 保存 (bǎocún), as in 保存文件 (bǎocún wénjiàn), save the file. You will see 保存 on the save button in most Chinese software.