Japanese symbol for “keep”
保つ
たもつ
Romaji: tamotsu
to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain
In Japanese, keep is 保つ, read たもつ (tamotsu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5t, vt to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain; to maintain; to sustain
- v5t, vi to last; to endure; to keep well (food); to wear well; to be durable
Written forms: 保つ. Readings: たもつ、もつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “keep”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 飼う | かう kau | to keep (a pet or other animal); to have; to own |
| 守る | まもる mamoru | to keep (i.e. a promise); to abide (by the rules); to observe |
| 収める | おさめる osameru | to put (into); to put away (in); to put back (in) |
| 預かる | あずかる azukaru | to look after; to take care of; to keep |
| キープ | キープ kiipu | to keep (e.g. the lead); to maintain (a standard, situation, etc.) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保護 | ほご hogo | protection; safeguard; guardianship |
| 保険 | ほけん hoken | insurance |
| 確保 | かくほ kakuho | securing; obtaining; ensuring |
| 保存 | ほぞん hozon | preservation; conservation; storage |
| 保証 | ほしょう hoshou | guarantee; security; assurance |
| 保守 | ほしゅ hoshu | maintenance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “keep”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.