保护 (bǎohù)

保护 means to actively shield a person, animal, object, or environment from damage, harm, or loss.

Meanings

[verb] To protect, to safeguard, to preserve from harm.

Example Sentences

政府出台了新的法律来保护濒危野生动物。 Zhèngfǔ chūtái le xīn de fǎlǜ lái bǎohù bīndāng yěshēng dòngwù. The government introduced new laws to protect endangered wildlife.

戴口罩是保护自己和他人不受病毒感染的有效方式。 Dài kǒuzhào shì bǎohù zìjǐ hé tārén bù shòu bìngdú gǎnrǎn de yǒuxiào fāngshì. Wearing a mask is an effective way to protect yourself and others from viral infection.

这片森林受到国家的严格保护，禁止任何商业开发。 Zhè piàn sēnlín shòudào guójiā de yángé bǎohù, jìnzhǐ rènhé shāngyè kāifā. This forest is under strict national protection; any commercial development is prohibited.

她一直努力保护孩子们免受网络上有害内容的影响。 Tā yīzhí nǔlì bǎohù háizimen miǎn shòu wǎngluò shàng yǒuhài nèiróng de yǐngxiǎng. She has consistently worked to protect the children from harmful content online.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
保护环境	to protect the environment
保护隐私	to protect privacy
受到保护	to be protected
保护措施	protective measures
自我保护	self-protection

Usage Notes

保护 can take a direct object (保护环境) or appear in a passive structure (受到保护). When used with 不受...影响/伤害, it conveys shielding from a specific threat. Compare with 保留, which means to retain or preserve something for future use, not to protect it from harm.

Memory Hook

保 means "to protect" and 护 also means "to guard/nurse" — doubling up the protective meaning makes this word unmistakably about keeping something safe.