wai4 wu6維護维护
Jyutpingwai4 wu6
Yalewàih wuh
Definition
To safeguard, defend, or maintain a person, right, or ideology against harm or violation.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Often carries a formal or serious tone, frequently appearing in news reports, legal discussions, or debates about principles. Unlike everyday words for helping or protecting, this suggests a deliberate effort to uphold a status quo, a right, or a reputation against potential criticism or harm.
Examples
He works very hard to defend his reputation.
Why do you have to defend that person who made a mistake?
Related words
Common phrases
to defend rights and interests
to uphold dignity
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use this interchangeably with 保護, but while 保護 focuses on physical safety or preventing immediate harm, 維護 is more abstract and relates to maintaining standards, rights, or ideological positions.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
