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維 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
維wéito preserve, to maintain, to hold togetherzg, 14 strokes, radical 糹
wéi(wei2) T2
  1. 1to preserve, to maintain, to hold together
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

維wéi(wei2)

The character 維 (wéi) primarily means 'to preserve' or 'to maintain'. It is commonly used in contexts related to keeping things intact, such as maintaining relationships or preserving cultural heritage. The nuance often implies an ongoing effort to hold something together or ensure its continuity.

Strokes14Radical糹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of '維' reflects the importance of maintaining harmony in relationships and community, often seen in practices such as family gatherings and festivals where cultural traditions are preserved.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong vine (the radical 糸, representing threads or strings) wrapping around and holding together different parts of a structure. This vine represents the concept of maintenance and preservation, reminding you of the sound 'wéi' as it weaves through the components.

Meanings of 維

wéi(wei2)
1to preserve, to maintain, to hold together
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 維

維Simplified
14Strokes
糹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 維

JasonAmy

Podcast: 維

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 維

Quick Contrast

維 (wéi) vs 保护 (bǎohù) — choose 維 when emphasizing the ongoing effort to maintain something rather than simply protecting it.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 維 with the similar character 维 (wéi), which has a more abstract meaning of 'dimension' or 'aspect'. It's important to use 維 in contexts that involve preservation or maintenance. Additionally, this character is more formal; avoid using it in casual conversations unless appropriate.

HSK Study Tips

While 維 is not in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with Level 4 and 5 vocabulary related to societal and cultural discussions. Focus on its usage in formal writing and speeches to enhance your understanding of more complex sentence structures.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 維 as 维 due to their similar pronunciation and appearance. Remember that 維 emphasizes preservation, while 维 is used in more abstract contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 維

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Etymology of 維

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 隹 represents the sound. Simplified form of 維.

Memory Hint

thread

Semantic (meaning)糹
+
Phonetic (sound)隹
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 維

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 隹 represents the sound. Simplified form of 維.

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half隹 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 維? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 維?

Decomposition of 維

IDS Structure⿰糹隹
維Full Character
=
糹si1
left
隹zhui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 維?

How to say to preserve, to maintain, to hold together in Chinese

“to preserve, to maintain, to hold together” in Chinese is維wéi

The character 維 (wéi) primarily means 'to preserve' or 'to maintain'. It is commonly used in contexts related to keeping things intact, such as maintaining relationships or preserving cultural heritage. The nuance often implies an ongoing effort to hold something together or ensure its continuity.

When to use 維

Learners often confuse 維 with the similar character 维 (wéi), which has a more abstract meaning of 'dimension' or 'aspect'. It's important to use 維 in contexts that involve preservation or maintenance. Additionally, this character is more formal; avoid using it in casual conversations unless appropriate.

維 or something close to it

維 (wéi) vs 保护 (bǎohù) — choose 維 when emphasizing the ongoing effort to maintain something rather than simply protecting it.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly write 維 as 维 due to their similar pronunciation and appearance. Remember that 維 emphasizes preservation, while 维 is used in more abstract contexts.

Write 維

維

Practice writing 維 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 維

Words Containing This Character19
维wéito preserve維
维护wéihùto defend維護
维持wéichíto keep維持
思维sīwéithinking思維
维修wéixiūmaintenance (of equipment)維修
纤维xiānwéifiber纖維
维生素wéishēngsùvitamin維生素
拉斯维加斯Las Vegas, Nevada拉斯維加斯
维多利亚Victoria (name)維多利亞
维也纳Vienna, capital of Austria維也納
戴维斯Davis or Davies (name)戴維斯
三维sānwéi3D三維
恭维gōngwéito praise恭維
维系to maintain維繫
维他命vitamin (loanword)維他命
塞尔维亚Serbia塞爾維亞
苏维埃Soviet (council)蘇維埃
玻利维亚Bolivia玻利維亞
维纳斯Venus (mythology, Roman goddess of love)維納斯
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 维 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 維

Yes, but it's more commonly found in formal contexts, so be mindful of the setting.

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