保守

• Reading: ほしゅ
• Romaji: hoshu
• Kanji breakdown: 保 (ho) — preserve, protect; 守 (shu) — guard, keep
• Pronunciation: /ho.ɕɯ/

Meaning

Maintenance; upkeep. The act of keeping equipment, systems, or infrastructure in good working condition.

A noun and suru verb with two distinct senses: (1) maintenance/servicing of machines, buildings, or systems (保守点検, maintenance inspection), and (2) conservatism in politics or ideology. In technical contexts, 保守 often appears in compounds like 保守契約 (maintenance contract) and 保守作業 (maintenance work). The political sense is covered by the related entries 保守勢力 and 保守的.

Examples

1. エレベーターの保守を定期的に行う必要がある。 Elevators need to be serviced on a regular basis.
2. このシステムは保守が簡単なので人気がある。 This system is popular because it's easy to maintain.
3. ビルの保守にかかる費用は年々増えている。 The cost of maintaining buildings has been increasing year by year.

Usage Guide

Context: engineering, IT systems, building management, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 保 (ho, to preserve/protect) + 守 (shu, to guard/keep). Literally 'to preserve and guard,' conveying the idea of keeping something in its proper state through ongoing care.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional