HSK 3.0 · LEVEL 4
保守
Conservative, to guard/maintain, or to keep a secret.
Free Chinese vocabulary flashcard · HSK 4
Why does 保守 look like this?
保 (protect) + 守 (guard). '保' shows a person (亻) standing by a child (呆) to protect them, while '守' shows a roof (宀) over a hand (寸), representing a rule or keeping watch over a house. Together, they form the idea of guarding what already exists.