Dictionary › 守

守

shǒu

HSK 5 Character

What 守 means

1. to guard
2. to defend
3. to keep watch
4. to abide by the law
5. to observe (rules or ritual)
6. nearby
7. adjoining

Example sentences

• 要守时！
  Yào shǒushí!
  Be on time.
• 保守秘密。
  Keep the secret.
• 遵守规则！
  Follow the rules.
• 请保守秘密。
  Please keep it secret.
• 我们很保守。
  We're conservative.
• 他是守门员。
  He's a goal keeper.

Words starting with 守

• 守护shǒu hùto guard; to protect
• 守候shǒu hòuto wait for; to expect; to keep watch
• 守卫shǒu wèito guard; to defend
• 守法shǒu fǎto abide by the law
• 守住shǒu zhuto hold on to; to defend; to keep
• 守则shǒu zérules; regulations
• 守门员shǒu mén yuángoalkeeper
• 守望shǒu wàngto keep watch
• 守门shǒu ménto keep goal; on duty as gatekeeper
• 守信shǒu xìnto keep promises
• 守时shǒu shípunctual
• 守旧shǒu jiùconservative; reactionary
• 守护神shǒu hù shénprotector God; patron saint
• 守口如瓶shǒu kǒu rú pínglit. to guard one's mouth like a closed bottle (idiom); tight-lipped; reticent…
• 守夜shǒu yèto be on all-night duty; to be on night watch; to keep a vigil
• 守备shǒu bèito garrison; to stand guard; on garrison duty
• 守寡shǒu guǎto live as widow; to observe widowhood
• 守信用shǒu xìn yòngto keep one's word; trustworthy
• 守株待兔shǒu zhū dài tùlit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom); to wait idly for opportunities…
• 守恒shǒu héngconservation (e.g. of energy, momentum or heat in physics)…
• 守分shǒu fènto abide by the law; to respect the law
• 守制shǒu zhìto go into mourning for one's parents
• 守势shǒu shìdefensive position; guard
• 守土shǒu tǔto guard one's territory; to protect the country

Words containing 守

• 遵守zūn shǒuto comply with; to abide by; to respect (an agreement)
• 保守bǎo shǒuconservative; to guard; to keep
• 防守fáng shǒuto defend; to protect (against)
• 看守所kān shǒu suǒdetention center
• 看守kān shǒuto guard; to watch over
• 坚守jiān shǒuto hold fast to; to stick to
• 留守liú shǒuto stay behind to take care of things
• 太守tài shǒugovernor of a province
• 把守bǎ shǒuto guard
• 固守gù shǒuto strongly defend one's position; to be entrenched; to cling to
• 恪守kè shǒuto scrupulously abide by
• 驻守zhù shǒu(man a post and) defend
• 严守yán shǒuto strictly maintain
• 保守派bǎo shǒu pàiconservative faction
• 厮守sī shǒuto stay together; to rely on one another
• 失守shī shǒu(military) (of a city etc) to fall into enemy hands; (fig.) to take a turn for the worse
• 死守sǐ shǒuto defend one's property to the death; to cling obstinately to old habits; die-hard
• 操守cāo shǒupersonal integrity
• 信守xìn shǒuto abide by; to keep (promises etc)
• 魂不守舍hún bù shǒu shèto be preoccupied (idiom); to be inattentive; to be frightened out of one's mind
• 镇守zhèn shǒu(of troops stationed in a strategic area) to defend; (fig.) to stand guard; to protect
• 职守zhí shǒuduty; responsibility; post
• 保守主义bǎo shǒu zhǔ yìconservatism
• 值守zhí shǒu(of a security guard etc) to be on duty, keeping an eye on things; to keep watch

Characters built on 寸

These share the phonetic component 寸 (cùn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 寿shòulong life; old age; age
• 肘zhǒuelbow; pork shoulder
• 纣zhòucrupper (harness strap running over a horse's hindquarters and under its tail)
• 酎zhòustrong wine

Characters that look like 守

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 市shìmarket; city; municipality (administrative unit)
• 字zìletter; symbol; character
• 穷qióngpoor; destitute; to use up
• 宁nìngwould rather; to prefer; how (emphatic)
• 宇yǔroom; universe
• 牢láo(literary) pen; fold (for livestock); prison; jail; firm; secure; fast

Sounds the same

Read shǒu, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 手hand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work
• 首head; chief; first (occasion, thing etc)
• 艏bow of a ship
• 扌"hand" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 64), occurring in 提, 把, 打 etc
• 掱variant of 手