维护

• Pinyin: wéi hù
• Hanzi breakdown: 维 = 纟(thread) + 隹 (bird, phonetic); 护 = 扌(hand) + 户 (door/household, phonetic)

Meaning

To maintain; to protect; to safeguard; to uphold.

Implies active protection or defence of something valuable — rights, systems, relationships, or equipment. More active than 维持 (merely sustaining something). Very common in legal contexts (维护权益, defend rights), political contexts (维护稳定, safeguard stability), and technical contexts (维护系统, maintain systems).

Examples

1. 每位公民都有责任维护社会的公平与正义。 Every citizen has a responsibility to uphold social fairness and justice.
2. 公司安排了专职工程师负责日常维护网络安全系统。 The company assigned dedicated engineers to handle day-to-day maintenance of the cybersecurity system.
3. 他长期积极维护消费者的合法权益，深受大家的尊重。 He has long actively defended consumers' legal rights and is greatly respected by everyone.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, politics, technology

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 我们有责任维护国家的法律尊严。(We have a responsibility to uphold the dignity of the country's laws.)
• 定期维护设备可以延长使用寿命。(Regular maintenance of equipment can extend its service life.)

Don't Say

• 维护 ≠ 维持 — 维护 means to actively protect/defend; 维持 means to keep something going or sustained. They are similar but not interchangeable in formal contexts.

Origin & History

Compound of 维 (to hold together) and 护 (to protect/guard, from 扌 hand + 户 door/household, phonetic), together conveying the sense of actively defending and preserving.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal