保: the kanji for protect; guarantee
保 is a Jōyō kanji that means protect; guarantee. Below are its readings, 5 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
保 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
保 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 5 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ホ (ho)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 保存ほぞん · hozon | saving; preserving |
| 保険ほけん · hoken | insurance |
| 保証ほしょう · hoshō | guarantee; warranty |
| 保育園ほいくえん · hoikuen | daycare center |
たもつ (tamotsu)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 保つたもつ · tamotsu | to keep; to maintain |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- ファイルを保存してから閉じてください。Fairu o hozon shite kara tojite kudasai.Please save the file before closing it.
- この冷蔵庫は保証が一年あります。Kono reizōko wa hoshō ga ichinen arimasu.This refrigerator has a one-year warranty.
- 会社の健康保険に入りました。Kaisha no kenkō hoken ni hairimashita.I joined the company's health insurance.
- 毎朝、子どもを保育園に送ります。Maiasa, kodomo o hoikuen ni okurimasu.Every morning I take my child to daycare.
- 部屋の温度を二十度に保っています。Heya no ondo o nijūdo ni tamotte imasu.I keep the room at 20 degrees.
Questions about 保
How many strokes does 保 have?
保 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 保?
The on readings are ho (ホ). The kun readings are tamotsu (たもつ).
What JLPT level is 保?
保 is a Jōyō kanji, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so other study materials may place 保 at a JLPT level.
About the JLPT level
保 is one of the 2,136 kanji in the official Jōyō Kanji Table, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. Our lists are a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009 and on the levels that several learning sites agree on, and the sources we checked place 保 at N1 or N2. See the list of Jōyō kanji outside our JLPT lists.
More Jōyō kanji
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 保
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.