保 means “keep, protect, preserve”

ほ · ho

Also: guarantee

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たもつ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ホ, ホウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 5 · 9 strokes

The story

A person (亻) beside a mouth (口) over a tree (木), though the oldest forms show an adult with a child strapped to their back: keeping someone safe. 保存 is saving a file, 保険 is insurance, and 保育園 is the daycare where toddlers spend the day.

Used in 保存 (hozon, saving/preservation), 保険 (hoken, insurance), and 保つ (tamotsu, to keep/maintain)

More from Help & Protect

• 援 help
• 護 protect
• 衛 guard
• 救 save
• 養 nourish
• 祉 welfare
• 擁 embrace
• 恩 kindness
• 扶 support

Learn 保 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.