我向你保证
wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng
In Chinese, "I promise you" is said as 我向你保证 (wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng).
我向你保证 is a phrase used to give a firm guarantee that one will definitely do something or that something is true. It is typically used to introduce a clause describing the thing being promised, such as "I promise you [that] I will come".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I towards you guarantee".
Which one should you use?
我向你保证 implies a strong, formal guarantee. In contrast, 我答应你 is more commonly used for a casual "I promise" or "I agree to" in daily conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The core verb 保证 can function as both a verb meaning "to guarantee" or "to promise" and a noun meaning "a guarantee".
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng
Did you know?
- In many Chinese social contexts, a verbal 'promise' is often considered less significant than a person's habitual 'credit' or 信用, which is a social standing rather than a single spoken word.
- The word 保证 is composed of 保 ('to protect' or 'keep') and 证 ('proof' or 'evidence'), suggesting that a promise in Chinese is fundamentally about providing evidence of reliability.
- While 我向你保证 is a formal guarantee, if you want to make a solemn, life-altering vow, you might use the word 发誓, which is closer to 'to swear an oath'.
Examples in context
- 我向你保证我会尽力帮助你的。I promise you that I will do my best to help you.
- 我发誓，我会一直支持你的梦想。I swear, I will always support your dreams.
- 我保证明天会准时来接你。I promise I will pick you up on time tomorrow.
- 我向你保证，我一定会准时到。Wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng, wǒ yīdìng huì zhǔnshí dào.I promise you, I will definitely arrive on time.
- 我向你保证，这件事不会再发生了。Wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng, zhè jiàn shì bù huì zài fāshēng le.I promise you, this will not happen again.
- 我向你保证，我会保护好你的秘密。Wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng, wǒ huì bǎohù hǎo nǐ de mìmì.I promise you, I will protect your secret well.
Example conversation
Zihan is reassuring Wei about a task.
- 伟 Wei你能在这个周末完成吗？Nǐ néng zài zhège zhōumò wánchéng ma?Can you finish this by the weekend?
- 梓涵 Zihan我向你保证，周日之前一定完成。Wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng, zhōurì zhīqián yīdìng wánchéng.I promise you, I will definitely finish it before Sunday.
- 伟 Wei太好了，我非常依赖这个结果。Tài hǎole, wǒ fēicháng yīlài zhège jiéguǒ.Great, I really rely on this result.
- 梓涵 Zihan放心吧，伟，没问题的。Fàngxīn ba, Wěi, méi wèntí de.Don't worry, Wei, it will be fine.
