Chinese–EnglishWith examples

保留

bǎo liú · bao liu

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 3Old HSK 5

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to keep
  2. to retain
  3. to have reservations (about sth)
  4. to hold back (from saying sth)
  5. to put aside for later
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In a conversation

0:17 cartoon

Which photos to keep

  1. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)的(de)手机(shǒujī)满(mǎn)了(le)，要(yào)删(shān)照片(zhàopiàn)。

    My phone is full. I have to delete photos.

  2. Dengdeng

    这张(zhèzhāng)保留(bǎoliú)，是(shì)我们(wǒmen)的(de)第一张(dìyīzhāng)合影(héyǐng)。

    Keep this one. It's our first photo together.

  3. Liangliang

    好(hǎo)，这(zhè)三百张(sānbǎizhāng)你(nǐ)的(de)午饭(wǔfàn)呢(ne)？

    OK. What about these three hundred photos of your lunch?

  4. Dengdeng

    都(dōu)保留(bǎoliú)！它们(tāmen)是(shì)好吃(hǎochī)的(de)回忆(huíyì)。

    Keep them all! They're delicious memories.

  5. Liangliang

    那(nà)我(wǒ)的(de)手机(shǒujī)只能(zhǐnéng)保留(bǎoliú)你(nǐ)的(de)午饭(wǔfàn)了(le)。

    Then my phone can only keep your lunch.

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

你(nǐ)能(néng)帮(bāng)我(wǒ)保(bǎo)留(liú)这(zhè)件(jiàn)洋(yáng)装(zhuāng)吗(ma)？

Could you save this dress for me?

Tatoeba: Chinese by egg0073 · English by sharptoothed · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

02

你(nǐ)可(kě)以(yǐ)帮(bāng)我(wǒ)保(bǎo)留(liú)这(zhè)个(ge)座(zuò)位(wèi)吗(ma)?

Can you save this seat for me?

Tatoeba: Chinese by Martha · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Stroke order & practice

Choose a character to watch its strokes or trace it yourself.

Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
保
bǎo

to defend; to protect; to keep; to guarantee; to ensure

留
liú

to leave (a message etc); to retain

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

More words starting with BExplore words in context