verb HSK 4
to maintain · to keep · to preserve · to retain
Meaning
保持 means to maintain or keep something in a certain state or condition over time. It emphasizes continuity and preservation of a status, quality, or relationship. The word combines 保 (to protect) and 持 (to hold), suggesting actively holding onto or safeguarding something.
Usage
保持 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. It often appears with abstract nouns like qualities, states, or relationships (保持冷静, 保持联系). In instructions or advice, it conveys the idea of sustaining a desirable condition. It's more formal than 继续 (continue) but less formal than literary equivalents.
Examples
- 01我们要保持联系，别失去联络。, .We need to keep in touch, don't lose contact.
- 02他在压力下仍然保持冷静。.He remained calm under pressure.
Characters
Common collocations
- 保持冷静to stay calm, to keep calm
- 保持联系to keep in touch, to maintain contact
- 保持距离to keep distance, to maintain distance
- 保持平衡to maintain balance
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 保 (protect/preserve) with 持 (hold/maintain), creating a compound that literally means to hold onto or preserve something protectively.