to protect, to preserve, to maintain

About this kanji

The kanji 「保」 means to protect, preserve, or maintain. It is often used as a noun or a verb. For example, the compound 保険 (ほけん) means insurance, which helps protect against financial loss. Another compound, 保存 (ほぞん), means preservation, like maintaining food or cultural artifacts. You might also notice the verb 保つ (たもつ), which means to keep or hold onto something. A common usage note is that although 保 can refer to physical protection, it can also relate to safeguarding concepts or ideas, like in childcare (保育, ほいく), where the focus is on nurturing and protecting children's growth and well-being.

Built from

Example sentences

• 環境を保護する必要がある。

  We need to protect the environment.

Meanings across languages

English

to protect, to preserve, to maintain

Tiếng Việt

bảo vệ, bảo tồn, duy trì

日本語

保護, 保存, 維持

한국어

보호하다, 유지하다

中文

保护, 维护

id

melindungi, memelihara

th

ปกป้อง, รักษา

es

proteger, preservar

fr

protéger, préserver

de

schützen, bewahren

pt

proteger, preservar

Common compounds

• 保険ほけんinsurance
• 保存ほぞんpreservation, storage
• 保つたもつto keep, to maintain
• 保育ほいくchildcare, nursing