保养

• Pinyin: bǎo yǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 保 = 亻(person) + 呆 (stay); 养 = 羊 (sheep) + simplified bottom, meaning nourish

Meaning

Maintain; take care of; preserve. To keep something in good condition through regular care.

Used for maintaining vehicles (汽车保养), machinery, skin (皮肤保养), or health. Implies preventive care to extend lifespan or maintain quality. Also refers to skincare and beauty maintenance.

Examples

1. 汽车每行驶五千公里就需要做一次保养。 Cars need maintenance every five thousand kilometers.
2. 她特别注重皮肤保养，看起来比实际年龄年轻很多。 She pays special attention to skincare and looks much younger than her actual age.
3. 这台机器保养得很好，用了十年还跟新的一样。 This machine has been well maintained; after ten years it still looks like new.

Usage Guide

Context: automotive, beauty, health

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 你的车该做保养了。(Your car needs maintenance.)
• 她很会保养自己。(She really knows how to take care of herself.)

Don't Say

• 把'保养'和'修理'混淆——保养是预防性维护，修理是坏了才修 (Don't confuse 保养 with 修理 — 保养 is preventive maintenance, 修理 is fixing something broken)

Origin & History

Compound of 保 (preserve/protect) + 养 (nourish), combining protection with the concept of nurturing care.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal