保護 / 保护
bǎohù
The English phrase 'protect' can be translated into Chinese as 保護 / 保护 (bǎohù). If unsure, use 保護 / 保护. Wiktionary also lists 保衛 / 保卫 (bǎowèi).
Meaning: to keep safe (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 保護 / 保护 | bǎohù |
| 保衛 / 保卫 | bǎowèi |
保護 / 保护 is the standard term used for protecting things such as the environment, rights or physical safety from harm or damage.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 保護 / 保护 is composed of 保, meaning to keep or maintain and 護, meaning to guard or protect.
Which one should you use?
While 保護 / 保护 means to protect or keep safe, 保衛 / 保卫 is used specifically for defending something against an active attack, such as a country or a territory.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, a commonly used term for 'protect' is Bouv6wu4 (保護).
How does it change in a sentence?
As a verb, 保護 / 保护 is often followed directly by the object being protected, such as 環境 (environment) or 權利 (rights).
How do you pronounce it?
bǎohù
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of protecting health involves 養生, which literally means 'nourishing life' rather than using the word 保護 / 保护.
- In the word 保護 / 保护, the character 保 is the same character used in 'insurance', as both involve the concept of keeping something safe or maintaining a status.
- The character 保 is found in the word for 'babysitter', 保姆 / 保姆, linking the act of protection directly to childcare.
Examples in context
- 保护环境 (Bǎohù huánjìng)Protect the environment
- 保护隐私权 (Bǎohù yǐnsī quán)Protect privacy rights
- 保护重要资料 (Bǎohù zhòngyào zīliào)Protect important documents
Sources
- Wiktionary, “protect” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
